System and method for a motion sensing device which provides a visual or audible indication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878228-B2
Application number	US-201715429199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 25, 2011
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

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 signaling in response to a sensed motion, the device having a single enclosure, and in the single enclosure comprising:
an accelerometer attached to the single enclosure for producing an output signal responsive to the device acceleration;
a visible light emitter that consists of, or comprises, a Digital Light Processing (DLP) display or a video projector, for emitting a visible light indicating a first status to a person;
a software and a processor for executing the software, the processor coupled to the accelerometer and to the visible light emitter for activating or controlling the visible light emitter in response to the output signal;
a rechargeable battery connected to power the device; and
a battery charger connected for contactless charging of the rechargeable battery.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the battery charger comprises a generator operative convert the device kinetic energy to an electrical energy connected to charge the rechargeable battery.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the generator comprises a coil and a magnetic field, and wherein relative movement of the coil and the magnetic field is generated in response to the device motion.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the contactless charging is induction-based, and 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.

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

6. 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.

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

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

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer is a single-axis, two-axis, or a three-axis accelerometer.

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

11. 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 output signal.

12. 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.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the visible light emitter is activated or controlled to indicate to the person in response to the sensed acceleration in a single direction.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the visible light emitter is activated or controlled to indicate to the person in response to change in time in the sensed acceleration magnitude or direction.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a timer for measuring a time interval, wherein the visible light emitter is activated or controlled to indicate to the person in response to a measured time interval between two events of the sensed acceleration being above an acceleration threshold.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the visible light emitter is operative to illuminate in multiple colors, and wherein the first status is indicated by changing between colors.

17. The device according to claim 1 , for use with a second status, wherein the visible light emitter is operative to illuminate in multiple colors, and wherein the first status is indicated by a first color and the second status is indicated by a second distinct color.

18. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional visible light emitter attached to the single enclosure and coupled to the processor for emitting a visible light indicating a second status to the person.

19. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the visible light emitter consists of, or comprises, a numerical display for displaying one or more digits representing a number.

20. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the visible light emitter consists of, or comprises, an alphanumeric display for displaying characters, numbers, letters, or symbols.

21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the alphanumeric display is operative to display scrolling, static, or flashing words or characters.

22. A portable electronic device comprising the device according to claim 1 .

23. The portable electronic device according to claim 22 , consisting of, or comprising, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a media player, a cellular telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a video recorder, or any combination thereof.

24. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a random number generator coupled to the processor and operative to output a random number, wherein the signaling is activated or controlled in response to the random number.

25. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the random number generator is a hardware-only based generator.

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

27. The device according to claim 26 , wherein the physical process is one of a thermal noise, a shot noise, decaying nuclear radiation, a photoelectric effect, and a quantum phenomenon.

28. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the random number generator is software-based, and the processor executes a random number generator software.

29. The device according to claim 28 , wherein the random number generator software includes an algorithm for generating pseudo-random numbers.

30. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the random numbers generated by the random number generator are substantially uniformly or Gaussianly distributed.

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

32. The device according to claim 31 , wherein the controlled switch is based on, comprises, or using, an electro-mechanical relay, a solid-state relay, or an optocouplers.

33. 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.

34. The device according to claim 1 , further dimensioned and shaped as a handheld unit.

35. The device according to claim 34 , wherein the single enclosure comprises, or shaped as, two substantially circula

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

• A63B2071/063

  Spoken or verbal instructions · CPC title

• A63B2220/56

  Pressure · CPC title

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title