Orthogonal Coil Layout for Wireless Toy Position Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless interactive toy construction elements face ambiguity in position and orientation detection, leading to inconsistent user experiences and increased complexity, cost, and the need for additional devices like cameras or base stations.
Innovation Solution
The toy construction elements are designed with a specific arrangement of electromagnetic coils within a box-shaped housing, allowing efficient signal reception from all directions and minimizing volume, while incorporating a processing unit for precise position and orientation computation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electromagnetic coils are arranged to detect signals from all directions, then position and orientation detection reliability is improved, but device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic coils are wound on a frame element that is inserted into the enclosure of the box-shaped housing, nesting the coil assembly within the existing housing structure to minimize volume occupation while maintaining omnidirectional detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges coils in three orthogonal orientations (x, y, z directions) within the compact housing, utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement to achieve omnidirectional signal detection without proportionally increasing device volume
2Measurement precision
If additional devices like cameras or base stations are added for position detection, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic coils serve multiple functions: they generate magnetic fields for detection and can also be used for wireless power transfer and data communication, eliminating the need for separate cameras or base stations and reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Each toy construction element equipped with electromagnetic coils can independently detect position and orientation of other elements without requiring external base stations or cameras, enabling the system to be self-sufficient and reducing overall system complexity
3Productivity
If electromagnetic coils are placed closer to housing walls, then signal reception efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic coils are pre-wound on a frame element before being inserted into the housing, establishing precise relative positions between coils and housing walls in advance, which simplifies the final assembly process and maintains manufacturing feasibility
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
This design ensures reliable, efficient, and cost-effective position and orientation detection without additional devices, providing a seamless user experience and low manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
measuring e.g. a magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic coil of another electronic device
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A wireless interactive toy construction element (10) for a modular toy construction system (1), wherein the toy construction element (10) comprises - a box-shaped housing (20) comprising an enclosure (29), surrounded by six walls (30) where three sets of two parallel walls (30) are arranged orthogonally relative to each other and where one set of parallelly arranged sidewalls (30) has a smaller outer surface area than the other sets of parallelly arranged sidewalls (30); and - a set of electromagnetic coils (80), each electromagnetic coil (80) defining a coil axis; wherein the electromagnetic coils (80) are wound on a frame element (50), which frame element (50) with electromagnetic coils (20) is configured to fit into the enclosure (29) of the box-shaped housing (20), and wherein the electromagnetic coils are arranged on the frame element (50) such that, when the frame element is arranged in the housing (20), - a first electromagnetic coil (80, 80Y2, 80YA, 80YB) is arranged in a plane parallel to a first wall (30) of the housing (20), - a second electromagnetic coil (80, 80Z, 80ZA, 80ZB) is arranged in a plane parallel to second walls (30) of the housing (20), which second wall is orthogonal to the first wall (30), and - where the first electromagnetic coil (80, 80Y, 80YA, 80YB), which is arranged parallel to the smallest area walls (30, 35, 36) is wound on the frame element (50) distally with respect to the coil axis of said first electromagnetic coil (80, 80Y, 80YA, 80YB), and intersecting without touching, the second electromagnetic coil (80, 80Z, 80ZA, 80ZB) arranged in parallel to a larger surface area wall (30, 31, 32).