Modular toy system with electronic toy modules

Abstract

A modular toy system comprising a plurality of separate electronic toy modules, each electronic toy module comprising a function device operable to perform a user-perceptible function and a control circuit for controlling the function device; wherein at least a first electronic toy module of the plurality of electronic toy modules comprises a first control circuit, a first function device and a sensor system configured for contactless detection of respective coordinate values of at least two coordinates, each coordinate being indicative of a position or an orientation of at least a second electronic toy module of the plurality of electronic toy modules relative to the first electronic toy module; and wherein the first control circuit is configured to control operation of the first function device based on one or more of the detected coordinate values.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A modular toy system comprising:
 a first and second electronic toy module, the first and second electronic toy modules each including:   a function device operable to perform a user-perceptible function; and   a control circuit for controlling the function device;   wherein:
 the first electronic toy module further includes a sensor system configured for contactless detection of a position of the second electronic toy module relative to the first electronic toy module via sensing a magnetic field of the second electronic toy module, and 
 the control circuit of the first electronic toy module is configured to control operation of the function device of the first electronic toy module based on the detected position of the second electronic toy module. 
   
     
     
         16 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein the sensor system is further configured to detect an orientation of the second electronic toy module. 
     
     
         17 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein the detected position of the second electronic toy module includes at least two coordinate values of the second electronic toy module. 
     
     
         18 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein the second electronic toy module also comprises a sensor system configured for contactless detection of a position of the first electronic toy module relative to the second electronic toy module via sensing a magnetic field of the first electronic toy module, and
 the control circuit of the second electronic toy module is also configured to control operation of the function device of the second electronic toy module based on the detected position of the first electronic toy module.   
     
     
         19 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein the detected position of the second electronic toy module includes at least three coordinate values of the second electronic toy module. 
     
     
         20 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first and second electronic toy modules are mechanically interconnectable with each other so as to form a toy assembly, and   the modular toy system comprises a processor configured to determine, based on the detected position of the second electronic toy module, whether or not the first and second electronic toy modules are mechanically interconnected.   
     
     
         21 . The modular toy system according to  claim 20 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, based on the detected position of the second electronic toy module, a physical topology of the first and second electronic toy modules in the modular toy system. 
     
     
         23 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein the detected position includes an estimated distance and an estimated direction of the second electronic toy module relative to the first electronic toy module. 
     
     
         24 . The modular toy system according to  claim 15 , wherein the detected position includes an estimated orientation of the second electronic toy module relative to the first electronic toy module. 
     
     
         25 . An electronic toy module configured to interact with a modular toy system comprising a plurality of separate electronic toy modules, wherein the electronic toy module comprises:
 a function device adapted to perform a user-perceptible function;   a sensor system configured for contactless detection of a position of the electronic toy module based upon a magnetic field associated with at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules; and   a control circuit configured to cause the function device to perform the user-perceptible function based upon the detected position of the electronic toy module relative to a magnetic field associated with at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules.   
     
     
         26 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 25 , wherein the detected position includes an estimated distance and an estimated direction of the electronic toy module relative to the at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules. 
     
     
         27 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 25 , wherein the detected position includes an estimated orientation of the electronic toy module relative to the at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules. 
     
     
         28 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 25 , wherein the sensor system is further configured to detect an orientation of the electronic toy module based upon a magnetic field associated with at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules. 
     
     
         29 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 25 , wherein the detected position of the electronic toy module includes at least two coordinate values of the electronic toy module. 
     
     
         30 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 25 , wherein the detected position of the electronic toy module includes at least three coordinate values of the electronic toy module. 
     
     
         31 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 25 , wherein:
 the electronic toy module and the at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules are mechanically interconnectable with each other so as to form a toy assembly, and   the modular toy system comprises a processor configured to determine, based on the detected position of the electronic toy module, whether or not the of the electronic toy module is mechanically interconnected with the at least one electronic toy module of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules.   
     
     
         32 . The electronic toy module according to  claim 31 , wherein the processor is configured to detect, based on the detected position of the electronic toy module, a physical topology of the plurality of separate electronic toy modules in the modular toy system. 
     
     
         33 . A modular toy system comprising:
 a first electronic toy module including:
 a first function device operable to perform a user-perceptible function; and 
 a first control circuit for controlling the first function device; 
   second electronic toy module including:
 a second function device operable to perform a user-perceptible function; and 
 a sensor system configured for contactless detection of a position of the first electronic toy module relative to the second electronic toy module via sensing a magnetic field of the first electronic toy module, and 
 a second control circuit for controlling the second function device second electronic toy module based on the detected position of the first electronic toy module. 
   
     
     
         34 . The modular toy system of  claim 33 , wherein the first electronic toy module also comprises a sensor system configured for contactless detection of a position of the second electronic toy module relative to the first electronic toy module via sensing a magnetic field of the second electronic toy module, and
 the control circuit of the first electronic toy module is also configured to control operation of the function device of the first electronic toy module based on the detected position of the second electronic toy module.