Motion-Responsive Ball Display With Integrated Acceleration Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toys and ball games lack innovative features to enhance amusement, education, and user experience while maintaining a conventional look and feel, and there is a need for a cost-effective, reliable, and easy-to-manufacture solution that provides additional stimulation and pleasure.
Innovation Solution
A device housed in a single enclosure with an accelerometer for motion sensing, an annunciator for visual or audible signaling, and a controller to activate the annunciator based on sensed motion, powered by a primary or rechargeable battery with options for kinetic energy conversion and contactless induction charging, featuring piezoelectric, piezoresistive, or MEMS accelerometers and LED or speaker annunciators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If motion sensing and annunciator components are added to enhance amusement and educational value, then user experience and stimulation are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the motion sensor, controller, and annunciator into a single integrated device housed in one enclosure. This merging of components achieves the desired amusement and educational functionality while containing the complexity within a unified structure, resolving the contradiction between added value and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to serve multiple functions: it senses motion through an accelerometer, processes the motion data through a controller, and provides feedback through visual or audible annunciators. This multi-functionality enhances amusement and educational value while the integrated design keeps the overall complexity manageable.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensing and signaling components are integrated, then functionality and user stimulation are enhanced, but manufacturing cost and part count increase
Solution Approach 1:
By housing all components (accelerometer, controller, annunciator) in a single enclosure and integrating their functions, the patent reduces the total part count and simplifies assembly procedures. This merging approach maintains enhanced functionality while improving ease of manufacture and reducing manufacturing costs.
3Shape
If conventional appearance is maintained while adding electronic components, then aesthetic appeal is preserved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the electronic components (accelerometer, controller, annunciator) within a conventional ball-shaped enclosure. This nesting approach allows the device to maintain its traditional aesthetic appearance while housing complex electronic functionality internally, resolving the contradiction between appearance and complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides enhanced amusement and educational value by responding to motion with visual or auditory cues, maintaining a conventional appearance and being cost-effective, reliable, and easy to manufacture, while offering versatility and robustness.
Implementation Method 1
featuring piezoelectric, piezoresistive, or MEMS accelerometers
Implementation Method 2
featuring piezoelectric, piezoresistive, or MEMS accelerometers
Implementation Method 3
featuring piezoelectric, piezoresistive, or MEMS accelerometers
Implementation Method 4
LED or speaker annunciators
Implementation Method 5
LED or speaker annunciators
Implementation Method 6
contactless induction charging
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.