Motion sensing device with an accelerometer and a digital display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764201-B2
Application number	US-201715456537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2017
Priority date	Mar 25, 2011
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A device includes a signaling means and a motion sensor, and logic for activating or controlling the signaling means in response to a sensed motion according to an embedded logic. The device may be used as a toy, and may be shaped like a play ball or as a handheld unit. It may be powered from a battery, either chargeable from an AC power source directly or contactless by using induction or by converting electrical energy from harvested kinetic energy. The embedded logic may activate or control the signaling means, predictably or randomly, in response to sensed acceleration magnitude or direction, such as sensing the crossing of a preset threshold or sensing the peak value. The visual means may be a numeric display for displaying a value associated with the count of the number of times the threshold has been exceeded or the peak magnitude of the acceleration sensed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for displaying in response to a sensed acceleration, the device comprising a single hand-held enclosure, and in the single enclosure comprising:
a three-axis accelerometer measuring the device acceleration and producing a first output signal that represents the measured device acceleration;
a sensor for producing a second output signal responsive to a physical phenomenon;
a digital display for displaying graphical or text information;
a rechargeable battery connected to power the device; and
a battery charger connected for contactless induction-based charging of the rechargeable battery,
wherein the digital display is coupled to the accelerometer and the sensor for displaying information in response to the first and second output signals.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising software and a processor for executing the software, the processor coupled between the digital display, the sensor and the accelerometer for controlling the displayed information in response to the first and second output signals.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the digital display is coupled to the processor using an interface that is according to, or based on, IEEE 1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Serial Digital Interface (SDI), FireWire™, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Unified Display Interface (UDI), or DisplayPort standard.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the digital display is a flat-panel digital display that is based on, comprises, or uses, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), or a Field Emission Display (FED) display.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the battery charger comprises, or consists of, an induction coil for inductively receiving AC power when in an electromagnetic field, and for charging the rechargeable battery from the received AC power.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a battery compartment mechanically secured to the single enclosure for housing the rechargeable battery.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the single enclosure further comprising a securely removable cover for covering the battery compartment, so that when the cover is removed the battery compartment is accessible for replacing the rechargeable battery.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further operative to detect or measure a change of a position of the device based on the first output signal.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on, a piezoelectric, piezoresistive, capacitive, Micro-mechanical Electrical Systems (MEMS), or electromechanical accelerometer.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer produces the first output signal in response to an absolute acceleration or to a relative-to-freefall acceleration of the enclosure.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first output signal is responsive to the magnitude or the direction of the device acceleration.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on three distinct accelerometers each producing a first output signal responsive to an absolute acceleration or to a relative-to-freefall acceleration in a distinct direction.

13. The device according to claim 1 , further operative to sense or measure the device mechanical orientation, vibration, shock, or falling, based on, or using, the first output signal.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on, a piezoelectric accelerometer that utilizes a piezoelectric effect and comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on, piezoceramics or a single crystal or quartz.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an audible signaling component for emitting an audible sound indicating a first status, and wherein the output signal is proportional in a defined range to the measured device acceleration.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the audible signaling component consists of, comprises, or uses an electro-mechanical, an electro-acoustical transducer, or a piezoelectric sounder.

17. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the audible signaling component consists of, comprises, or uses a loudspeaker, and the device further comprising a memory storing the audible sound in a digital form, and a digital to analog converter coupled between the memory and the loudspeaker for sounding by the loudspeaker the stored audible sound.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the stored audible sound is based on, comprises, or consists of, a speech synthesis or a recorded human voice.

19. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the emitted audible sound is based on, comprises, or consists of, a single tone, multiple tones, a melody, or a music, and wherein the accelerometer is a three-axis accelerometer.

20. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the emitted audible sound is based on, comprises, or consists of, a song or a human voice that is synthesized or recorded.

21. The device according to claim 1 , consisting of, or comprising, a laptop computer, a media player, a cellular telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a video recorder, or any combination thereof.

22. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a random number generator coupled to the processor and operative to output a random number, wherein the information displayed is in response to the random number.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the random number generator is a hardware-only based generator.

24. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the random number generator is based on a physical process.

25. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the physical process is one of a thermal noise, a shot noise, decaying nuclear radiation, a photoelectric effect, and a quantum phenomenon.

26. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the random number generator is software-based, and the device further comprising a processor for executing a random number generator software.

27. The device according to claim 26 , wherein the random number generator software includes an algorithm for generating pseudo-random numbers.

28. The device according to claim 22 , wherein the random numbers generated by the random number generator are substantially uniformly or Gaussianly distributed.

29. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a controlled switch connected for switching DC power from the rechargeable battery to a component, wherein the switch is controlled by a processor in response to the first output signal.

30. The device according to claim 29 , wherein the controlled switch is based on, comprises, or using, an electro-mechanical relay, a solid-state relay, or an optocouplers.

31. The device according to claim 1 , further operative as a toy for an amusement of a person or a pet, wherein the single enclosure is configured, dimensioned, formed, or structured as a toy.

32. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the single enclosure comprises, or shaped as, two substantially circular plates attached to both ends of a rod.

33. The

Assignees

• May Patents Ltd

Inventors

• Binder Yehuda

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10H1/26

  for automatically producing a series of tones · CPC title

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• H02J7/32

  for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover {rotating at constant speed} · CPC title

• G10H2220/395

  Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing · CPC title