Multifunction Controller For A Remote Controlled Toy

Abstract

The present invention relates to a remote control assembly including a remote control unit and a toy vehicle. The remote control unit is a four function device that provides forward, reverse, forward-left, and forward-right inputs such that the selection of one input will cause the vehicle to move in a forward direction, the selection of a second input will cause the vehicle to move in reverse direction, the selection of a third input will cause the vehicle to move forward and left, and selection of the fourth input will cause the vehicle to move forward and right.

1 . A remote control assembly, comprising:
 a toy vehicle including a body, at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel rotatably coupled to the body, and a receiver; and   a control unit including an input device configured to receive inputs from a user, and a transmitter for transmitting control signals corresponding to the received user input to the receiver,   wherein a first single input received at the input device is configured to cause the toy vehicle to simultaneously move in both a forward and a first lateral direction and a second single input received at the input device is configured to cause the toy vehicle to move in a forward and a second lateral direction.   
     
     
         2 . The remote control assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the input device is a four-function device that only includes four input controls comprising a forward button, a reverse button, a left button, and right button, and wherein depression of the left button causes both forward and left lateral movement of the toy vehicle and depression of the right button causes both forward and right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The remote control assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the transmitter comprises an integrated circuit (IC) having at least four IC inputs, wherein a first IC input corresponds to forward movement of the toy vehicle, a second IC input corresponds to reverse movement of the toy vehicle, a third IC input corresponds to left lateral movement of the toy vehicle, and a fourth IC input corresponds to right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The remote control assembly of  claim 3 , where the transmitter comprises:
 a first diode electrically coupling the fourth IC input to the first IC input; and   a second diode electrically coupling the third IC input to the first IC input.   
     
     
         5 . The remote control assembly of  claim 4 , wherein upon a user activating the right button, the fourth IC input is directly connected to ground and the first IC input is connected to ground through the first diode such that the transmitter substantially simultaneously sends both a right turn command and a forward command to the receiver located in the toy vehicle, thereby causing substantially simultaneous forward and right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The remote control assembly of  claim 4 , wherein upon a user activating the left button, the third IC input is directly connected to ground and the first IC input is connected to ground through the second diode such that the transmitter substantially simultaneously sends both a left turn command and a forward command to the receiver located in the toy vehicle, thereby causing substantially simultaneous forward and left lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The remote control assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the transmitter further includes a switch matrix comprised of four input switches each connecting one of the buttons to one or more of the IC inputs. 
     
     
         8 . The remote control assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the forward, reverse, left, and right buttons are connected directly to one of the inputs of the transmitter IC such that the receiver only receives one of a forward, reverse, right, or left command at any time in response to a user input, and wherein the receiver includes an IC having at least four IC outputs, wherein a first IC output corresponds to forward movement of the toy vehicle, a second IC output corresponds to reverse movement of the toy vehicle, a third IC output corresponds to left lateral movement of the toy vehicle, and a fourth IC output corresponds to right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The remote control assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the receiver further comprises:
 a third diode coupling the third IC output to a forward input of a forward/reverse H-bridge of the receiver; and   a fourth diode coupling the fourth IC output to the forward input of the forward/reverse H-bridge.   
     
     
         10 . The remote control assembly of  claim 9 , wherein upon receipt of a left turn command from the transmitter, the third IC output is switched to a high state causing the forward/reverse H-bridge to initiate forward movement of the toy vehicle and causing a left/right H-bridge of the receiver to initiate substantially simultaneous left lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The remote control assembly of  claim 9 , wherein upon receipt of a right turn command from the transmitter, the fourth IC output is switched to a high state causing the forward/reverse H-bridge to initiate forward movement of the toy vehicle and causing a left/right H-bridge of the receiver to initiate substantially simultaneous right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The remote control assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a clamp transistor positioned on the forward side of the forward/reverse H-Bridge.   
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 a toy vehicle that includes a receiver; and   a remote control unit for the toy vehicle, wherein the remote control comprises:
 a transmitter configured to wirelessly communicate with the receiver, 
 a four function input device comprising a first, a second, a third, and a fourth input control, 
   wherein activation of the second input control causes the toy vehicle to simultaneously move in both a forward and first lateral direction and wherein activation of the fourth input control causes the toy vehicle to simultaneously move in both a forward and a second lateral direction.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the transmitter comprises an integrated circuit (IC) having at least four IC inputs, wherein a first IC input corresponds to forward movement of the toy vehicle, a second IC input corresponds to reverse movement of the toy vehicle, a third IC input corresponds to left lateral movement of the toy vehicle, and a fourth IC input corresponds to right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , where the transmitter comprises:
 a first diode electrically coupling the fourth IC input to the first IC input; and   a second diode electrically coupling the third IC input to the first IC input.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein upon activation of the fourth input control, the fourth IC input is directly connected to ground and the first IC input is connected to ground through the first diode such that the transmitter substantially simultaneously sends both a right turn command and a forward command to the receiver located in the toy vehicle, thereby causing substantially simultaneous forward and right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein upon activation of the second input, the third IC input is directly connected to ground and the first IC input is connected to ground through the second diode such that the transmitter substantially simultaneously sends both a left turn command and a forward command to the receiver located in the toy vehicle, thereby causing substantially simultaneous forward and left lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter further includes a switch matrix comprised of four input switches each connecting one of the input controls to one or more of the IC inputs. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein each of the input controls are connected directly to one of the inputs of the transmitter IC such that the receiver only receives one of a forward, reverse, right, or left command at any time in response to a user input, and wherein the receiver includes an IC having at least four IC outputs, wherein a first IC output corresponds to forward movement of the toy vehicle, a second IC output corresponds to reverse movement of the toy vehicle, a third IC output corresponds to left lateral movement of the toy vehicle, and a fourth IC output corresponds to right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the receiver further comprises:
 a third diode coupling the third IC output to a forward input of a forward/reverse H-bridge of the receiver; and   a fourth diode coupling the fourth IC output to the forward input of the forward/reverse H-bridge.   
     
     
         21 . The remote control assembly of  claim 20 , wherein upon receipt of a left turn command from the transmitter, the third IC output is switched to a high state causing the forward/reverse H-bridge to initiate forward movement of the toy vehicle and causing a left/right H-bridge of the receiver to initiate substantially simultaneous left lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         22 . The remote control assembly of  claim 20 , wherein upon receipt of a right turn command from the transmitter, the fourth IC output is switched to a high state causing the forward/reverse H-bridge to initiate forward movement of the toy vehicle and causing a left/right H-bridge of the receiver to initiate substantially simultaneous right lateral movement of the toy vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . A method for controlling movement of a toy vehicle with a remote control unit that comprises a four function input device including a first, a second, a third, and a fourth input control, the method comprising:
 receiving a user input activating only a single one of the control inputs of the input device;   based on the activation of the single control input, generating one or more control signals indicating a selected direction of movement for the toy vehicle;   sending the one or more control signals from the remote control unit to the toy vehicle; and   initiating movement of the toy vehicle in accordance with the one or more control signals such that the toy vehicle simultaneously moves in both a forward and a lateral direction.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein generating the one or more control signals indicating a selected direction of movement for the toy vehicle comprises:
 generating a first and a second control signal, wherein the first control signal indicates a forward movement of the toy vehicle and the second control signal indicates a selected lateral movement of the toy vehicle.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the remote control unit comprises:
 a transmitter integrated circuit (IC) having at least four IC inputs, wherein a first IC input corresponds to forward movement of the toy vehicle, a second IC input corresponds to reverse movement of the toy vehicle, a third IC input corresponds to left lateral movement of the toy vehicle, and a fourth IC input corresponds to right lateral movement of the toy vehicle;   a first diode electrically coupling the fourth IC input to the first IC input; and   a second diode electrically coupling the third IC input to the first IC input.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein generating the one or more control signals indicating a selected direction of movement for the toy vehicle comprises:
 generating a single control signal comprising one of a forward, a reverse, a right, or a left command.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the toy vehicle comprises:
 a receiver IC having at least four IC outputs, wherein a first IC output corresponds to forward movement of the toy vehicle, a second IC output corresponds to reverse movement of the toy vehicle, a third IC output corresponds to left lateral movement of the toy vehicle, and a fourth IC output corresponds to right lateral movement of the toy vehicle;   a third diode coupling the third IC output to a forward input of a forward/reverse H-bridge of the receiver; and   a fourth diode coupling the fourth IC output to the forward input of the forward/reverse H-bridge.