Patent Publication Number: US-7895779-B2

Title: Display device with flying objects that hover randomly and in flight patterns

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates, in general, to toys, display systems, products, and other devices in which one or more components simulate objects in flight such as a flying bird or butterfly and, more particularly, to a system for controlling an object, such as an object imitating a hummingbird, a bat, a bird, a fairy, or the like, to selectively place the object in flight while also allowing the object to hover randomly or in a controlled pattern. 
     2. Relevant Background 
     In nature, there are many creatures that not only fly by flapping their wings but also that are able to hover. For example, a hummingbird is a fascination to many as it beats its wings so rapidly the wings are nearly invisible while it hangs fluttering in the air or moves about a location such as fluctuating to and fro near a bird feeder. Many other creatures hover including other birds, bats, and insects such as butterflies. Additionally, there are many other imaginary creatures such as fairies, unicorns, vampires, and many others that hover when they are depicted in movies. 
     An ongoing challenge has beBen how to simulate not only the ability of such creatures to fly but also to hover with their wings beating but their bodies remaining relatively still or steady. For example, when a hummingbird hovers about a feeder, its wings are hard to see but its colorful body and head are readily visible to an observer. Existing products that try to simulate a hummingbird tend to be made of a solid body with wings formed of wispy or translucent material that may move in a wind or simply remain still but provide some appearance of movement due to its wispy nature and/or translucence. Generally, such products are fixed in place and so cannot move about a location or object as would be expected of a real hummingbird. Many flying toys have been developed over the years in which wings are provided that flap rapidly to help the glider-like toy fly with the wings typically being driven by a mechanical device such as a coiled spring or rubber band or by a small motor. These toys generally only simulate flight and cannot be made to hover, and when tethered, these flying toys generally fly repeatedly in a circle. Existing devices that provide motion to butterflies or moths provide a butterfly body that is attached rigidly to a free end of a wire. The wire is moved about at the opposite, attached end of the wire such as by a wheel that rotates. The wire&#39;s movements cause the butterfly body to move about and attached flexible wings to move to simulate flight. The butterfly devices do not effectively simulate hovering of the butterfly as the body jitters about with the end of the wire and cannot remain in one position, and further, the flight pattern is fixed and becomes repetitive and boring to an observer. 
     Hence, there remains a need for a device for causing a winged object to fly with its wings moving or beating and also to hover with its body still or stationary relative to the wings. Further, it is desirable for the flight pattern of the winged object to be controllable (such as from a perch to another perch or reactive to external stimuli or occurrences or the like) and/or in a relatively random pattern (such as to move about an area and then hold a position for a period of time and then move about again in an unpredictable manner or to simply continue to move in a pattern that is or appears undefined or at least not preset). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above problems by providing winged object systems or devices in which a winged object such as a hummingbird or fairy is made to fly from one location to another and to also hover at each of these locations with its body relatively still or stable while the wings are moving rapidly. Generally, the systems of the invention achieve a hovering effect by providing a long support such as a wire or flexible beam that is fixed at one end or is supported in a cantilevered manner. A winged object is provided at the unsupported end of the support wire or beam with a body that is mounted on or near the end so as to be able to swivel or pivot freely. Two or more wings are provided in the winged object and are mounted rigidly to the support and at an offset distance. The system further includes a driver that has an output connected to the fixed end of the support, and the driver output is caused to vibrate to impart a harmonic motion to the support. The vibration of the driver output is typically tuned or adjusted such that the wings move substantially more than the body such that the wings appear to flap or beat while the body remains relatively motionless, and in some cases, the body is positioned near a nodal position of the support while the wings are mounted a distance away from this nodal position (i.e., a position of minimal displacement of a vibrating element). The now hovering winged object is moved about through a flight pattern or number of locations by moving the output of the driver either randomly (e.g., to imitate a hummingbird&#39;s or other creature&#39;s natural movements) or in a selected pattern (e.g., from a resting perch to another perch or to select locations in a display). Such movement of the winged object may be in response to external stimuli such as activation of an electronic device (e.g., a phone receiving an incoming call, a lamp being turned on, or the like), as the winged object system is useful in numerous consumer and other products. 
     More particularly, an apparatus is provided for providing winged objects that hover in various positions or locations. The apparatus includes an elongate support such as a wire, a flexible rod, a beam, or the like. A driver is provided with an output shaft that supports a first end of the support. The driver operates to impart an oscillating displacement to the first end of the support by vibrating the first end of the support. The apparatus further includes a winged object assembly that includes a body that is mounted proximate to a second end of the support. The winged object assembly also includes wings that are rigidly attached to the support at an offset distance from the body. The second end of the support is typically unsupported and the body is positioned on a receiving surface on or near the second end so as to not be rigidly attached but to be able to swivel and/or pivot on the receiving surface in response to movement or vibration of the support. The driver may operate to vibrate the first end at a frequency that shapes the support as a wave or in a wave displacement pattern, and the frequency and pattern are selected or tuned such that the wings are displaced more than the body, e.g., by selecting a harmonic or a resonant frequency of the support. The output shaft is positioned selectively by the operation of the driver (e.g., an X-Y servomotor or the like) into a plurality of angular positions so as to move the first end of the support into a corresponding plurality of X-Y positions, which causes the winged object to move to a number of locations or to fly through a flight pattern. The angular positions of the output shaft are set by control signals from a controller in some embodiments, and these control signals may be issued in response to stimuli input (such as sensing of light, sound, or movement) or external control signals (such as an activation signal from an electronic device) received by the controller. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a winged object system of the present invention that is adapted to simulate that the winged object is hovering in various locations; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the system of  FIG. 1  as it is operated to move the hovering, winged object between various locations, e.g., in a controlled/selected flight pattern or in a more random pattern, with the wings moving or beating in response to an oscillating/vibrating support wire while the body remains relatively still (i.e., moves with X-Y repositioning of the wire but does not vibrate or oscillate with the wire); 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate three exemplary assemblies, such as consumer products, that incorporate winged object systems or assemblies of the invention, such as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram of a winged object system of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged, partial side view of a winged object system illustrating the tip of a support wire with a swivel point or pivotal support mount upon which a body of a winged object is positioned or mounted and a pair of wings or wing assembly is rigidly mounted at an offset distance from the body; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a portion of a winged object system illustrating (in an exaggerated manner) the imparting or driving of a wave into the cantilevered support wire to impart motion to wings of the winged object but little or no vibratory motion to the body that is positioned at or near a harmonic node of the support wire; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view similar to that of  FIG. 1  showing another embodiment of a winged object system of the present invention using electro magnets a controlled or selected flight pattern for the hovering object and a fan to impart a random or unpredictable flight patter upon the winged object. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Briefly, the present invention is directed to a system or apparatus that includes a winged object that appears to move or flap its wings to fly while its body remains relatively still or stable to provide the appearance of hovering as the winged object moves about randomly and/or in controlled flight patterns. For example, the system may include a lamp and a winged object, such as a fairy, bird, butterfly, or the like, may be positioned above or near the lamp to hover, with some embodiments providing a relatively random pattern or positioning or a more controlled flight pattern. Generally, systems of the present invention include a winged object assembly mounted upon a free end of a wire or thin beam that is rigidly attached at its other end to a driver (e.g., to provide a cantilevered beam or support). The driver vibrates the beam or wire to cause the beam to move and in many embodiments, the vibration is tuned to impart harmonic motion on the beam by rapidly and repeatedly displacing the fixed end of the beam or support. The wings of the object are mounted so as to vibrate or move with the beam while the body of the winged object is mounted so as to remain still or to move less than the wings so as to appear steady or still (e.g., by mounting the body at or near a node (i.e., a point of minimum movement when an object such as the elongate support is subjected to a harmonic frequency causing the support to have a standing wave shape) of the support while the wings are mounted at an offset distance from a node). The driver may also provide positioning of the support to move the now hovering winged object through a flight pattern such as by moving the fixed end of the support randomly, in a preset pattern, or in a pattern selected based upon external stimuli. In this manner, the winged object not only appears to hover but also to fly about in the systems of the present invention to effectively simulate movement of imaginary creatures such as fairies and creatures found in nature such as hummingbirds and insects. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a winged object system  100  of the present invention. As shown, the system  100  includes driver  110  that is powered and optionally controlled by connection or connecting wires  112 . The driver  110  includes an output  114  such as an output shaft. An elongate and flexible support  120  is mounted at a fixed end  122  to the output  114  of the driver  11 . The flexible support  120  generally may be thought of as a cantilevered beam with a fixed end  122  and a free end  124  that is distal to the fixed end  122 . The support  120  may take many forms to practice the invention, and in some embodiments, the support  120  is a length of piano wire such as a few inches up to several feet in length. In other embodiments, the support  120  is formed of materials other than metal such as plastic and may have differing cross sections such as square or rectangular and may be much larger in cross section (e.g., have a larger diameter than piano wire) although thicker and/or longer supports  120  may require a more powerful and structurally large driver  110  to obtain desired motion or vibration of the support  120 . 
     The free end  124  provides a mounting point for a winged object or assembly  130 , and in some embodiments, is a swivel attachment similar to swivel attachments used in fishing or may be a latchable or open hook (as shown). Generally, the free end  124  is configured to support a body  132  of the winged object  130  by mating with a swivel point or opening  134  of the body  132 . As shown, the support or free end  124  is simply a hooked or curved portion of the support  120  and the body  132  includes a hole or opening  134 . The opening  134  often is provided at about the center or center of gravity for body  132  although this is not required. The winged object  130  further includes one or more wings  136  that are attached to the support  120  an offset distance from the body  132 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the wings  136  are attached rigidly via a mounting element  138  (to which they are affixed) so as to move with the support  120 . 
     The wings  136  are generally formed of a flexible material such as thin sheets of plastic or metal or of fabric so as to flutter or flap when the support is vibrated or moved quickly about and are generally attached rigidly to the mounting element  138 . The shape and number of the wings  136  is selected based on the creature or object being simulated by the assembly  130 , e.g., an imaginary creature such as a fairy, a unicorn, a flying car, and the like or a creature of nature such as a bird, a bat, a dinosaur, an insect, or the like. The specific configuration of the wings such as their material or their dimensions such as width and length is not considered limiting of the invention but, in general, the wings  136  are designed to oscillate, beat, or move through a range of positions quickly in response to vibrations on the support  120  and to be resilient so as return to an “at rest” position. 
     The body  132  is mounted upon the support  120  a distance from the mounting member  138 . In some embodiments, the body  132  is mounted rigidly to the support  120  while in some preferred embodiments, the body  132  is mounted as shown to freely pivot on the support  120  or more specifically, at or near the free end  124 . Such pivotal mounting allows the body  132  to stay more stable or steady (i.e., to not move as much) when the free end  124  oscillates or moves when vibrations are imparted to the support  120  at the fixed end  122  by the driver  110 . As with the wings  136 , the body  132  may take many forms to practice the invention and is generally selected to take on the appearance of the body of an object (e.g., an imaginary or natural creature) that is being simulated by the assembly  130 . In one example, the assembly  130  is a fairy and the wings  136  are formed of rubber, thin plastic, or fabric with a length of about 3 to 6 inches and a width of about 0.5 to 3 inches while the body  132  is formed of plastic, metal, glass, ceramic, or the like and is about 3 to 8 inches in length, 0.5 to 3 inches in width, and 0.1 to 2 inches in thickness (with a flatter body working well in one implementation). The body  132  and wings  136  may also be colored, shaped, and textured to better simulate the creature being simulated or imitated. Of course, these are only exemplary materials and dimensions as the concepts of the invention may be used with numerous other embodiments and applications. 
     The driver  110  functions to support the fixed end  122  of the support, to position the assembly  130  by moving the fixed end  122  of the support  120 , and to cause the wings  136  to move or flap. The combination of the movement of the assembly  130  and its body  132  in combination with the movement of the wings  136  while the body  132  remains stable causes the assembly  130  to appear to be flying and also hovering (e.g., when the support  120  is held in a single position).  FIG. 2  illustrates operation of the winged object system  100 . As shown, the driver  110  is operated first to vibrate the fixed end  122  of the support  120  such that the wings  136  move as shown at  210 ,  212 . The movement  210 ,  212  may be up and down relative to the support  120  or more of a back and forth motion as shown, with either resulting in the appearance of beating wings especially when the movement is rapid (e.g., in response to a relatively high frequency vibration or oscillation by the driver  110 ) and being a translation of the motion of the support  120  into motion of the wings  136 . The driver  110  may then move the support to a new position such as a new X-Y position by moving the output shaft  114  with the movement to the second or new position shown at  220 . This movement  220  provides the appearance of flight for the object  130  as the wings  136  continue to beat  210 ,  212  during the movement  220 . Later, the object  130  is moved  230  to a third or another position by the driver  110  moving the fixed end  122  by moving the output shaft  114  to a new X-Y position. The particular hovering locations may be relatively random to provide an unpredictable flight pattern for the object  130  or may be preset by the driver  110  such as fixed movements  220 ,  230  in response to an external stimuli or signal to the driver  110  or as part of running a flight pattern routine by the driver  110  or by a controller attached to the driver  110  by lines  112 . Generally, the new positions of the assembly  130  are radial positions on a spherical flight pattern with the support  120  being the radius of the sphere or portion of a sphere surface over which assembly  130  may be positioned by the driver  110 . 
     The driver  110  may take numerous forms to provide these functions. Generally, the driver  110  acts as a shaker that is driven with displacement at its output  114  (e.g., in the Y or X direction) to displace the fixed end  122  of the cantilevered support  120  to cause the support  120  to vibrate along its length. It is preferred that the body  132  moves less than the wings  136  and in some cases to move little or not at all. To this end, the body  132  may be mounted differently so as to swivel or move relative to the support  120  while the wings  136  are mounted rigidly to move with the support  120 . Alternatively or more preferably in combination, the body  132  is mounted at an offset distance from the wings  136 . The driver  110  is selected to be adjustable so as to impart harmonic motion in the support  120  or to cause beam or support  120  to vibrate at its resonant frequency or at one of its harmonic frequencies. 
     In other words, the driver  110  applies a vibration signal at its output  114  to the fixed end  122  of the support  120  that causes the support  120  to oscillate with a pattern associated with a standing wave made up of nodes (i.e., points of minimum amplitude in the standing wave or movement of the support  120 ) and antinodes (i.e., positions of maximum amplitude in the standing wave or movement of the support  120 ). The driver  110  is tuned or adjusted (or the length and configuration of the support  120  is selected) such that the body  132  moves significantly less than the offset mounting member  138  and wings  136 . This can be achieved in some cases by tuning the system  100  such that the body  132  and/or the free end  124  are at or near a node or nodal position while the mounting member  138  and wings  136  are not and may be more proximate to an antinode or position of greater movement of the support  120  when it is vibrated by the driver. The magnitude of the displacement or amplitude of vibration waves is also adjusted such that a desired amount of movement of the wings  136  is achieved, and this will vary with the size of wings  136 , the weights and material of the wings, and other physical characteristics of the wings  136 . 
     Hence, the driver  110  may include a mechanical shaker device to impart the vibration or displacement of the fixed end  114 . Alternatively, one or more strips of piezoelectric material may be attached to the support  120  so as to change the shape of the support  120  with an alternative current passing through the strip such that the support  120  vibrates at the frequency of the current. By tuning the frequency of the input current, the driver  110  can change the vibration frequency until it meets the resonant frequency of the support  120 . In other embodiments, the driver  110  includes a DC servomotor with an output shaft  114  that can be both vibrated at a desired frequency and amplitude and that can be moved quickly and accurately to new X-Y positions to move the fixed end  122  or pivot point of the support  120  so as move the winged object  130  through a desired flight pattern. Generally, the servomotor has an output shaft  114  that can be positioned by sending a coded signal to the motor, and as the input to the motor changes, the angular position of the output shaft  114  changes as well to move the fixed end  122  of the support  120  (e.g., the fixed end  122  can be thought of as having a new X-Y position or to have a new angular position relative to a starting point at 0,0 in an X-Y coordinate system). Such an X-Y servo and DC motor combination may control the vibration or displacement of the fixed end  122  by vibrating the output shaft  114  in response to a signal generator such as a sine wave generator or a galvanometer. The control or input signal (or vibratory signal or control) is in some embodiments tuned for the support  120  and assembly  130  combination such that the support  120  vibrates, the wings  136  oscillate or move with the support  120 , and the body  132  does not move or moves with less amplitude than the wings  136  so as to appear stable, i.e., the support  120  is driven with a wave shape that causes oscillations in the wings  136  but not in the body  132 . This may be at the harmonic frequency of the support  120  with the assembly  130  positioned at or near the free end  124 , e.g., with the body  132  at or near a nodal position of the oscillating support  120  and the wings  136  offset from this nodal position. 
     The system  100  may be used as a standalone product to display a hovering object. In other applications, the system  100  is combined with other components to provide assemblies such as may be sold to retail or business consumers.  FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate three representative assemblies  300 ,  330 , and  350 . The assembly  300  includes the system  100  along with a lamp  320 . The driver  110  may be mounted on a wall  310  or other support structure near the lamp  320  such that the winged object  130  rests on a perch or support on or near the lamp  320  and hovers and flies above or near the lamp  320  (such as when the light is turned on or when a separate switch or control is activated on the lamp  320  or linked to the driver  110 ). The lamp  320  includes a bulb  324  and a lamp shade  322  and generates light  366 . In some embodiments, the object  130  is positioned to be displayed in the light  366  above the lamp  320  or to fly in and out of such light through its flight pattern provided by the driver  110 . 
       FIG. 3B  illustrates an assembly or product  330  in which all or portions of the system  100  are provided within a housing, e.g., a bird cage or the like,  334 . The driver  110  is operated such that the winged object  130  may rest on a perch or support  336  or swing  339  and hover in the housing  334  or move about the housing  334  as shown at  337  and  338 . The movement  337 ,  338  and vibrating of the support  120  to oscillate the wings  136  may be performed at some preset interval, in a randomly generated pattern, and/or in response to control signals (such as from an external control device such as a manually operated joystick or controller or in response to stimuli such as light or noise or the like). 
       FIG. 3C  shows another assembly  350  in which a system  100  may be provided to achieve a desired display of a hovering creature or object  130 . As shown, the driver  110  is mounted on a wall or support structure and operates to position the winged object on a perch or support  356  when it is at rest (e.g., when the support  120  is not vibrating or vibrating slowly). The driver  110  also operates to move  360 ,  362 ,  364  the winged object through a number of positions or locations at which it appears to hover due to the vibration of the support  120  that causes the wings  136  to move with little or no movement of the body  132 . The assembly  350  further includes a base  352  (such as a recharging or synchronizing base) and a device  354  such as a cell phone, wireless phone, a personal digital assistance, a laptop or other computer device, or the like. In some embodiments, the assembly  350  is configured to provide a signal such as from the base of  352  to the driver  110  to have the driver operate automatically in response to activity at the base  352 . For example, the winged object  130  may be caused to hover when the device  354  is returned to the base  352  and/or when it is activated (such as when an incoming message or call is received by the device  354 ). The flight pattern defined by the movements  360 ,  362 ,  364  may be random, relatively random, preset for any type of activation, or be matched to a particular activation (e.g., for one flight pattern when a message is received, for another pattern when a call is incoming from a known caller, for another pattern when a call is incoming from an unknown caller, or combinations of these and other implementations). For example, in one embodiment, the winged object  130  leaves the perch  356  when the phone  354  rings and proceeds through the positions  360 ,  362 ,  364  and returns (after a preset or random flight pattern or after repeating the flight pattern until the device  354  is returned or the call is ended). 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a functional block diagram of a winged object system  400  of the present invention, which may be used to implement the system  100  or systems  300 ,  330 ,  350 . As shown, the system  400  includes an X-Y driver  410  with an output shaft  412  that is attached to a fixed end of a support  414 , which in turn is attached to a winged object (not shown). The output shaft  412  is positioned by the driver  410  in a variety of X-Y positions (or differing angular positions) to cause the support  414  and an attached winged object to move in a particular pattern (e.g., a flight pattern). The output  412  is also caused to vibrate at a frequency and amplitude that is set by an input signal generator or oscillating signal generator  420 . The signal generator  420  is preferably tuned or adjusted after a winged object is mounted upon the free end of support  414  to cause the output shaft  412  to vibrate at a frequency that causes the wings to move but the body to remain relatively stable when compared with the wings. As discussed earlier, this may be a harmonic or resonant frequency for the support  414  with the winged object at the free end or such that the body is at a nodal position in the vibration wave applied to the support  414 . 
     The system  400  farther includes a controller  430  that provides control signals  438  to the driver  410 . These control signals  438  generally activate the driver  410  to impart vibration to the output shaft  412  based on output of the signal generator  420 . The control signals  438  also are used to set the X-Y position of the output shaft  412 . The position control signals  438  may be manually input such as with an operator operating a user interface (e.g., joystick, keyboard, mouse, or the like). In other embodiments, the position control signals  438  are provided by a position generator  434 , which may be a computer routine that provides the position control signals  438 . The position generator  434  may include routines to generate random positions and timing of movements so as to cause the output  412  to move about randomly to create an predictable flight path or pattern. The position generator  434  may also or instead include one or more predefined flight patterns that are implemented based on time (e.g., repeat after a predefined or randomly selected amount of time elapses). In other cases, the random or preset patterns provided by the position generator  434  are selected or initiated by input  442  from a stimuli input  440 . For example, the input  440  may be a switch such that when a device (such as a lamp or display on/off switch) is operated the input  440  provides a signal  442  that causes the generator  434  to provide certain position control signals  438 . The stimuli input  440  may also include sensors such as light or sound sensors such that the input  442  causes the generator  434  to provide a particular flight pattern in response to the stimuli signal  442 . In other cases, the stimuli input  440  may be an external controller or device that transmits activation signals to the controller  430  to use one or more routines of the generator  434  to provide control signals  438  to the X-Y driver  410 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates in more detail the mounting of a winged object  530  to a support  520 . As discussed above, the support  520  is cantilevered at a fixed end (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) and extends out from this fixed end to an unsupported or free end  524 . The free end  524  is configured to allow a body  532  to be mounted such that the body  532  is free to swivel or pivot. This may be achieved in a number of ways such as latchable swivels that are attached to the body  532  or with a hook or support end  524  extending through the body  532  or through an eyelet or other component (not shown) on the backside of body  532 . The support  520  is typically selected to have adequate strength and rigidness to support the weight of the body  532  and wings  536  and to be fairly easily made to oscillate with vibrations applied to the fixed end. For example, when the body  532  and wings  536  are relatively light (a few ounces or less) and the length of the support  520  is relatively short (less than about 3 feet), a metal wire (such as piano wire) may be used for support  520  although it may bend somewhat when it supports the assembly  530 . If the assembly  530  is heavier and/or the support  520  is relatively long, the support  520  may need to be formed with a larger diameter or more rigid material to better support the assembly in a cantilevered fashion. 
     As shown, the body  532  includes a top or head  533  and a bottom or base  535  and the support end  524  typically is attached to the body between these two ends  533 ,  535  such as about midway or at or near a center of gravity for the body  532 . A counterweight  537  may be provided on the body  532  near the base  535  so as to cause the body  532  to remain more steady or motionless when the support  520  oscillates or vibrates. Alternatively, the base  535  may be designed to be heavier than the top  532 . The body  532  has a height, h body , and a thickness, t body , that may be varied to practice the invention but generally the thickness, t body , is chosen to be relatively small compared to the height, h body , such as at less than about 1 inch and more typically less than about 0.25 inches while the height may be up to 6 inches or much more. 
     The wings  536  typically are selected to have dimensions that correspond or are proportionate to the body  532 . The wings  536  are typically thin and formed of a material that allows the wings  536  to flex or bend along their lengths when the support  520  vibrates (such as metal, fabric, rubber, or plastic wings that are less than about 0.25 inches and more typically less than 0.125 inches thick and are 2 to 6 inches or more in length). The wings  536  are attached (e.g., rigidly mounted) to the mounting member  538  which in turn is rigidly mounted to the support  520  such as with a set screw or fastener  539  or by other methods. Alternatively, the wings  536  may be attached directly to the support  520  without an additional mounting member  538 . The wings  536  are mounted to the support  520  at an offset distance, l offset , from the location of the body  532  on the free end  524  as may be measured from center (or a plane passing through the center of gravity of the body  532 ) of the body  532 . The offset distance, l offset , is selected based on the sizes of the wings  536  and body  532  and the flexibility of the support  520  with larger offsets typically being used with larger wings  536  and bodies  532  and less flexible supports  520 . For example, in one preferred embodiment, the offset distance, l offset , is selected from the range of 0.1 to 1 inch with one embodiment using an offset of less than about 0.375 inches, but in larger embodiments of the assembly  530 , an offset distance, l offset , of several inches or more may be useful. As discussed above, the offset distance, l offset , allows the body  532  to be positioned at or near to a nodal position of a standing wave when the support  520  is vibrated (such as a harmonic frequency) while the offset wings are positioned distal to this nodal position such that the amplitude of the standing wave or magnitude of the displacement of the support  520  where the wings  536  are attached is greater. When combined with the pivotal or swivel mounting of the body  532  on the free end  524 , this allows the wings  536  to vibrate or move a large amount relative to the body  532 , which in some cases moves very little or not at all so as to appear stable. 
     The use of the offset in positioning the two wings from the body can be seen more clearly in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  illustrates a winged object assembly  600  in which a driver or output shaft of a driver  614  is provided and a support beam  620  is fixed at one end to this driver  614 . The driver  614  imparts a wave motion such as vibration at a harmonic frequency or a resonant frequency of the support  620 . A wave or standing wave pattern forms in the vibrated support  620 , and in this pattern, there are positions of large displacement or amplitude relative to the at rest or reference position of the support  620  (i.e., its location when not vibrated) that may be called antinodes  622 ,  624 . However, the beam or support  620  has little or no displacement (i.e., the wave has minimal amplitude relative to the reference location or position for the support  620 ), and these locations may be called nodes or nodal positions  626 . When the support  620  vibrates, a pair of wings  136  move up and down or side to side  637 ,  639  because they are mounted via mounting member  138  to a portion of the support  620  that has displacement, i.e., not at nodal position or even at or near an antinode  622 ,  624 . In contrast, the body  132  is mounted at the free end  630  of the support  620  and, as shown, the motion imparted to the support  620  is such that the free end is at or near a nodal position  626  such that the body  132  is not displaced or the displacement relative to the reference location line  602  is minimal or at least less than the movement of the mounting member  138 . 
     In some embodiments, alternative techniques are used to positions the winged object and/or to impart a random or undefined flight pattern onto the object.  FIG. 7  illustrates such an alternative embodiment of a winged object system  700 . As shown, the system  700  includes a winged object  710  that includes a body  712  that is connected (such as for pivoting and/or swiveling) to a free end  722  of a support  720 . The object  710  further includes a wings  714  that are rigidly attached via a mounting member  716  to the support  720  (e.g., at an offset distance as discussed above). The support  720  is attached at a fixed end  726  to a driver  730 , such as a torque driver or other device for imparting vibrations onto the fixed end  726  of support  720 . The support  720  is also physically supported at portion  724  that is attached to a mating portion  752  of a support and positioning assembly  750 . The assembly  750  includes a support structure including mount  752  and further includes positioning devices that are shown to include a shelf  754  upon which a plurality of electromagnets  756  are positioned. The winged object assembly  700  further includes a control/power unit  760  for transmitting control signals to the driver  730  (such as power on/off) and to the magnets  756  so as move the driver  730  as shown with arrows  732 ,  736  about the shelf  754  and toward/away the shelf  754 . By selectively operating the driver  730  and energizing the magnets  756 , the fixed end  726  of the support  720  can be moved and the support  720  can be vibrated to move the wings  714  as shown at  715  to cause the object  710  to move between positions in a flight pattern and to hover at such locations with little movement of the body  712 , with movement of the object  710  shown at  711  and  713 . 
     To provide a more random movement, the system  700  includes a fan  740  that supplies wind or moving air  744  when operated by the controller  760  or as turned on separately from support/positioning assembly  750 . The wind  744  causes the object  710  to flutter about from position to position while pivoting about position  724  as its weight is counterbalanced by the driver  730 . In typical embodiments, the driver  730  is significantly heavier than the object  710  and to provide a system that balances on mount  752  the support  720  is much longer on the object side of the point  724  than on the driver side. In other embodiments, the fan  740  is provided at an angle, along one side of the object  710 , or above the object  710 . In other cases, additional fans are provided so as to cause a more varying distribution of the wind  744  or this may be achieved with devices provided at the outlet of the fan  740  such as active louvers or the like. As with the systems of  FIGS. 1-4 , the control  760  may operate to provide random positioning of the object  710 , to provide predefined flight patterns, and/or to provide movement of the object  710  in response to a particular stimuli (such as a ringing phone, an activated electronic device, detected motion, light, or sound, or the like) in a random pattern, in a predefined pattern, or in a pattern selected based on the input stimuli. 
     Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.