Remote control device

Abstract

 A remote controller comprises a housing having a steering wheel portion 1. A pendulum 4 inside the housing is pivotally fixed at one end so that its other end is free to swing under the influence of gravity. When the housing is tilted to the left or the right the pendulum 4 comes into contact with a left or a right contact plate 7, completing an electrical circuit of a control unit and causing a signal to be transmitted to the remotely controlled device to turn either to the right or to the left.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to remote control devices and in particular, though not necessarily, to remote control devices for use with toys, for example cars, trucks, boats, aeroplanes and other toys whose movement can be controlled remotely.

[0002] The various remote controllers for toys available at present comprise user operated pendulum to control the direction of movement of the toy. Generally, a pendulum is pushed to the right to make the toy move to the right or the pendulum is pushed to the left to make the toy move to the left. This process, though logical, lacks intuitiveness as, when the toy is facing the operator, the definitions of left and right are reversed.

[0003] This arrangement also does not provide the same feeling as driving with a steering wheel which is, after all, the "real world" situation.

[0004] According to the present invention there is provided a controller for issuing control command signals, the controller comprising a housing containing means for transmitting left and right turn command signals to a remote device, characterised in that there is mounted within the housing means arranged to move under the influence of gravity in dependence upon the tilting of the housing in one direction or another and means responsive to those movements for causing the respective turn command signals to be transmitted.

[0005] A preferred embodiment of the present invention has the outward appearance of a steering wheel of a car. It has two parts: a front cabinet shaped like a steering wheel and a rear cabinet. The major components are: a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which are mounted electronic components, mechanical controlling components, a power switch, a forward and reverse control knob, a battery compartment and an antenna.

[0006] The forward and reverse control knob is located at the hub or central region of the steering wheel and is easily accessible to either of the operator's thumbs. Pushing the knob towards the top of the unit produces forward motion of the remotely controlled toy whilst pulling the knob towards the bottom produces reverse motion of the toy.

[0007] Left and right directional control is achieved by tilting the steering wheel to the left or to the right. This characteristic is achieved by means, in the preferred embodiment, of a pendulum located inside the cabinet and rotatably fixed to it at only one end region. The opposite end region of the pendulum is free to move under the influence of gravity until it touches one of two metal contact plates located to the left and right of the pendulum. When the user tilts the device to the left (counter-clockwise) the internal pendulum is pivoted by gravity so as to touch the left contact plate. This contact results in control circuitry sending a signal to the remotely controlled toy to turn left (counter-clockwise). When the user tilts the device to the right (clockwise) the pendulum pivots to the right and touches the right contact plate resulting in the control circuitry sending a signal to the remotely controlled toy to turn to the right (clockwise).

[0008] Consequently, this device better simulates the real action of driving using a steering wheel and thus provides the user with a simpler, more intuitive, and more satisfying remote control experience.

[0009] The internal pendulum may consist of three parts:

1) A stem having at one end region a hollow cylindrical body that is sleeved on a post projecting from the front cabinet. This cylinder is located at the top of the pendulum, and permits the pendulum to pivot freely under the influence of gravity.

2) At the middle of the stem is a small metal bar projecting from the centre of the pendulum (parallel to the cylindrical body). This bar touches the contact plates when he device is tilted either left (counter-clockwise) or right (clockwise).

3) At the lower end region of the stem is a metal plate which provides the main mass of the pendulum and which keeps the pendulum pointing down under the effect of gravity.

[0010] Two more components of this embodiment are the contact plates which are located on either side of the internal pendulum. These contact plates are connected to the PCB so that when the device is tilted current flows though the pendulum to a contact plate and the PCB emits steering signals. These plates are fixed at their bottom end region but are free at their tops so that they can bend and recover elastically. On the side of each contact plate that faces the centre axis of the device is a plastic post that keeps the contact plate in position and prevents it from touching the internal pendulum when the device is held in an upright position (with its central axis perpendicular to the ground).

[0011] For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a circular disk controller for a toy;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the circular disk controller of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a second side view of the circular disk controller of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of the controller of Fig. 1 taken on the line X-X;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the controller of Fig. 1 taken on the line Y-Y;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section view of the controller of Fig. 1 taken on the line Z-Z;

Fig. 7 is a central-cross section view of the controller of Fig.1 taken on the line X-X and showing the pendulum in its left-hand position;

Fig. 8 is a central cross-section of the controller of Fig. 1 taken on the line X-X and showing the pendulum in its right-hand position; and

Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram of an electronic control system of the controller of Fig.1.

[0012] Figures 1 to 3 show a remote control device comprising a front housing 1, in the shape of a steering wheel, fixed to a rear housing 2. Referring to Figures 3 to 6 which show various cross-sectional views of the device of Figures 1 to 3, the two housings define an internal space in which a printed circuit (PCB) board 14 is mounted by means of four support pins. A control circuit comprising a number of electronic components is arranged on the PCB 14. Two rectangular contact plates 7 are fixed at their lower ends along a portion of an edge to the front facing surface of the PCB 14 such that their upper portions are free to bend to the right or left when forces are applied thereto, the plates returning to their 'normal' positions when the forces are removed. Located adjacent to the inward facing side of each of the plates is a plastic post 16 against which the corresponding contact plate abuts and which prevents it from touching an internal pendulum 4 when the remote control device is held in an upright position (with its central axis perpendicular to the ground).

[0013] The internal pendulum 4 comprises at its upper end a hollow cylinder 17 that is sleeved on a post projecting from the front cabinet. Extending downwardly from the cylinder 17 is a central section to the bottom of which is attached a relatively heavy rectangular metal plate 13. Projecting from the centre of the central section in a direction parallel to the cylinder 17 is a metal bar 15 which is arranged to lie substantially centrally between the two contact plates 7 when the remote control device is held in an upright position. However, when the device is tilted either to the left or the right the pendulum 4 is free to pivot by the rotation of the cylinder 17 around the post under the influence of gravity until the bar is brought into contact with a corresponding one of the contact plates. Figures 7 and 8 show the result of tilting the device to the left and to the right respectively. Two stoppers 12 located on either side of the pendulum and projecting from the front housing constrain the movement of the pendulum within an angle of 25 to 35 degrees on either side to prevent it from impinging on the contact plates too heavily.

[0014] The pendulum and the two contact plates are each connected to the control circuit such that contact between the pendulum and the left contact plate causes the remote control device to transmit a left turn signal via an antenna 11 to the toy under control and contact between the pendulum and the right contact plate causes a right turn signal to be transmitted.

[0015] The remote control device includes in the centre of the 'steering wheel' a forward and reverse control knob 3. Pushing the knob upwardly causes the device to transmit a signal to the toy to drive it forward while pulling the knob downwardly causes the device to transmit a signal to the toy to drive in reverse.

[0016] A power activation button 8 is also incorporated into the steering wheel and is able to operate switch contact plates 9. A power indicator LED 10 is located at the top of the steering wheel, next to the power button 8, to indicate when the power supply to the device is turned on.

[0017] The rear housing 2 contains the battery compartment 5 which is accessible through a battery door 6.

[0018] Figure 9 shows a control circuit suitable for use with the above described device. Switches SW103 and SW104 are provided respectively by the left contact plate and the pendulum and by the right contact plate and the pendulum. Of course only one of these switches can be closed at any one time. Switch SW102 is activated by to the forward-reverse knob on the steering wheel whilst the LED D103 corresponds to the power indicator diode also located on the steering wheel. Integrated circuit 101 is an RF oscillator arranged to operate at the model frequency 27.145MHz. The control circuit produces output command signals corresponding substantially to those used in conventional remote control devices operating in the 27 MHZ band.

Claims

1. A controller for issuing control command signals, the controller comprising a housing (1, 2) containing means (IC101) for transmitting left and right turn command signals to a remote device, characterised in that there is mounted within the housing (1, 2) means (4) arranged to move under the influence of gravity in dependence upon the tilting of the housing in one direction or another and means (7) responsive to those movements for causing the respective turn command signals to be transmitted.

2. A controller according to claim 1, wherein a portion (1) of the housing has the outward appearance of a steering wheel.

3. A controller according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the means (4) arranged to move under the influence of gravity comprises a pendulum arrangement (4) movable relative to the housing.

4. A controller according to claim 3, wherein the means (7) responsive to movement comprises contact means arranged to be actuated by the pendulum when the housing is tilted in the one and the other direction.

5. A controller according to claim 4, wherein the contact means comprises left and right contact means (7) located respectively to one and the other side of the pendulum arrangement (4).

6. A controller according to claim 5, wherein the pendulum arrangement (4) comprises a projecting electrically conducting member (15) arranged to contact one or other of the contact means (7) when the housing is tilted and thereby to complete an electrical circuit.

7. A controller according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the contact means (7) are fixed only at one end region so that their remaining portions are free to bend and recover elastically.

8. A controller according to claim 7, comprising means (16) projecting from the housing so as to lie between the free portions of the contact means (7) thereby to prevent the contact means from contacting the pendulum arrangement (4) when the device is held in an upright position.

9. A controller according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the pendulum arrangement (4) comprises a hollow cylindrical portion (17) which is sleeved on a post projecting from an inside surface of the housing so that the pendulum arrangement can pivot about the post.

10. A controller according to any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein the lowermost end of the pendulum arrangement (4) comprises a metal plate (13).

11. A controller according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the range of pivoting of the pendulum arrangement (4) with respect to the housing is limited by two stops (12).

12. A controller according to claim 11, wherein the stops are positioned to provide a limit of no more than about 35^o each way from a central position.

13. A controller according to claim 12, wherein the limit is no more than about 25^o.

14. A controller according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an antenna (11) attached to the housing and extending substantially vertically when the housing is in a central position.

Drawing