Abstract:
Disclosed is a remote control toy including: a body a motion of which is controllable; a remote controller for transmitting control signal to the body; and a card for storing control data with regard to a predetermined motion of the body, wherein the remote controller includes: a card reading section for reading the control data from the card; and a transmitting section for transmitting the control signal corresponding to the control data read by the card reading section; and the body includes: a receiving section for receiving the control signal transmitted by the transmitting section; and a moving section for executing predetermined motion according to the control signal received by the receiving section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a radio control toy. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    Heretofore, an operation of a transmitter of a remote control toy has been complicated because of needing many buttons or sticks or the like to be operated. 
         [0005]    In the meantime, such transmitters as can read such cards storing setting data is proposed in order to simplify a default setting operations in remote control toy (see, for example, Japanese patent No. 2659392). 
         [0006]    However, the invention disclosed in the Japanese patent No. 2659392 still needs many buttons or sticks to be operated, though a default setting operation has simplified. Therefore, the invention is not better to be adapted to a remote control toy particularly for children&#39;s use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention was made to solve such a problem. It is, therefore, a main object of the present invention to provide a remote control toy capable of being operated easily. 
         [0008]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote control toy including: a body a motion of which is controllable; a remote controller for transmitting control signal to the body; and a card for storing control data with regard to a predetermined motion of the body, wherein the remote controller includes: a card reading section for reading the control data from the card; and a transmitting section for transmitting the control signal corresponding to the control data read by the card reading section; and the body includes: a receiving section for receiving the control signal transmitted by the transmitting section; and a moving section for executing predetermined motion according to the control signal received by the receiving section. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the card stores the control data in a magnetic stripe or in the form of barcode. 
         [0010]    Preferably, the body includes a wheel for running. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the moving section includes at least one of a driving unit for causing the body to run according to the control signal; a light emitting section for emitting light according to the control signal; or a sound producing section for producing sound according to the control signal. 
         [0012]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the toy body behaves predetermined motion only by causing the remote controller to read the control data stored in the card. Therefore, the remote control toy can be operated easily without requiring a complicated operation of a remote controller. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The above and other objects, advantage and features of the present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is an external view of a toy body according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the toy body of  FIG. 1  with a body being removed; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a plan view showing a card according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing a control system of the remote controller; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing a control system of the toy body; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an overall view showing a radio control toy according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a plan view showing a card according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    In the following, a remote control toy according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4  and  7 , a remote control toy  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a toy body  2 , a card  3  and a remote controller  4 . 
         [0024]    As shown in the external view of  FIG. 1 , an outer bailey of the toy body  2  includes chassis  21  and a body  22  for surrounding the chassis  21 . The chassis  21  and the body  22  are formed of plastic, and formed so that the chassis  21  and the body  22  are fixed with each other by elastically engaging respective engaging sections (not shown) that are formed to correspond with each other. Moreover, the toy body  2  includes front wheels  28  pivotally supported via a shaft for front wheels and rear wheels  29  driven by a motor  25  described below via a shaft for rear wheels. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the toy body  2  includes a housing space on the chassis  21 . In this housing space, there are provided a receiving section  23  for receiving a control signal from the remote controller  4 , a receiving controller  24  for controlling each part of the toy body  2  according to the received control signal, a motor  25  for driving rear wheels  29  according to a signal from the receiving controller  24 , and a speaker  26  for generating horn sound according to the signal from the receiving controller  24 . Moreover, lights  27  for emitting light according to a signal from the receiving controller  24  are provided in front part of the chassis  21 , and a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the motor  25  or the like is provided at the bottom of the chassis  21 . Among the above, the receiving controller  24 , the motor  25 , the speaker  26  and the lights  27  configure moving section of the toy body  2  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Incidentally, the sound generated by the speaker  26  is not limited to the horn sound but, for example, sound of a siren can be applied. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the card  3  has a magnetic stripe  31  formed on a surface thereof. The magnetic stripe  31  stores control data for causing the toy body  2  to execute any one motion of running, emitting light or producing sounds. Moreover, there are marks provided on the surface of the card  3 . The marks include a mark  33  representing running motion, a mark representing light emitting motion (not shown) or a mark  34  representing sound producing motion. Therefore, the card  3  is configured so that types of control data stored therein are discriminable from an external appearance thereof. 
         [0027]    Incidentally, it is only necessary for the card  3  to function as a storage medium. Therefore, substitution such as barcode  32  as shown in  FIG. 8  is available alternative to the magnetic stripe  31 . 
         [0028]    As shown in the perspective view of  FIG. 4 , the remote controller  4  is formed to have shape representing computers. The remote controller  4  is equipped with a card reader  41  as a card reading section for reading the control data from the card  3 , and a power button  44  at an outside thereof. The card reader  41  is equipped with a slit section  411  for the card  3  to be inserted therein, and a magnetic head  412 , which touches the magnetic stripe  31 , when the card  3  is inserted in the slit section  411 . The card reader  41  can read the control data from the card  3  when the card  3  being manually operated to be moved along the slit section  411  so as to be scanned, with the magnetic stripe  31  and the magnetic head  412  being touched with each other. 
         [0029]    Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 5 , a transmitting controller  42  and a transmitting section  43  are provided internally in the remote controller  4 , wherein the transmitting controller  42  transmits control signal corresponding to the control data from the card reader  41  to the transmitting section  43  and the transmitting section  43  transmits the control signal over the radio to the receiving section  23  of the toy body  2 . The control signal is a signal, similar to the control data, for causing the toy body  2  to execute any one motion of running, emitting light or producing sounds. The transmitting controller  42  and the transmitting section  43  are a transmitting section of the remote controller  4  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0030]    Incidentally, it goes without saying that the card reader  41  of the remote controller  4  should be modified so as to be able to read a barcode i.e. a barcode reader, when, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the barcode  32  is provided on the card  3  alternative to the magnetic stripe  31 , as described above. 
         [0031]    Subsequently, performance of the remote control toy  1  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         [0032]    First of all, a player inserts the card  3  into the slit section  411  of the card reader  41  so as to manually operate the card  3  to be moved and scanned along the slit section  411  with the magnetic stripe  31  and the magnetic head  412  being touched with each other. Then, the control data stored in the magnetic stripe  31  is read by the card reader  41 . The control data is data for causing the toy body  2  to execute any one motion of running, emitting light or producing sounds. 
         [0033]    The control data read by the card reader  41  is transmitted to the transmitting controller  42 . The transmitting controller  42  transmits the control signal to the transmitting section  43  according to content of the control data, wherein the control signal causes the toy body  2  to execute any one motion of running, emitting light or producing sounds. Then, the transmitting section  43  transmits the control signal to the receiving section  23  of the toy body  2 . 
         [0034]    The control signal received by the receiving section  23  is transmitted to the receiving controller  24 . The receiving controller  24  executes following controls to any one of the motor  25 , the speaker  26  and the lights  27 , according to the received control signal. 
         [0035]    If the control signal is a signal for causing the toy body  2  to run, the receiving controller  24  controls the motor  25  to cause the rear wheels to be driven. Then, the toy body  2  goes forwardly or backwardly by a predetermined driving force. If the control signal is a signal for causing the toy body  2  to emit light, the receiving controller  24  controls the lights  27  to emit light for awhile. If the control signal is a signal for causing the toy body  2  to produce sounds, the receiving controller  24  controls the speaker  26  to produce horn sound for a while. Incidentally, the running motion of the toy body  2  is not limited to going forwardly or backwardly but includes, for example, circling. 
         [0036]    As described above, a player can easily make the toy body  2  execute motions corresponding to the control data stored in the card  3  only by manually operating the card  3  to be moved and scanned along the slit section  411 , without requiring complicated operations. Moreover, the player can enjoy renewed maneuvering feeling not by static motion of traditional stick operation by fingertips, but by dynamic motion of scanning the card  3  swiftly. 
         [0037]    As described above, according to the remote control toy  1 , the toy body  2  behaves predetermined motion only by manually operating the card  3  along the card reader  41  of the remote controller  4 . Therefore, the remote control toy  1  can be operated easily without requiring a complicated operation of a remote controller. 
         [0038]    Incidentally, the toy body  2  is not limited to such a running toy as described in the present embodiment, but, for example, a robotic walking toy or the like can be applied. Moreover, the toy body  2  may include at least one of the motor  25 , the speaker  26  and the lights  27 . However, it is needless to say that the moving section such as a motor  25 , a speaker  26 , lights  27  or the like should be provided corresponding to the control data or the control signal. 
         [0039]    The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-312663 filed on Dec. 3, 2007 including description, claims, drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirely. 
         [0040]    Although various exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Therefore, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited solely by the scope of the claims that follow.