JP7621441B2 - Performance output toys - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a toy that produces visual output.

Toys that produce visual output through sound production, light emission, etc. have been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 03-060993

However, the technology of Patent Document 1 merely produces a performance output when a switch is turned on, and has a problem of being uninteresting.
Furthermore, although various mechanisms for producing performance output are known, due to the nature of toys, mechanisms for producing constantly new performance output are required.
The problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a new performance output toy having a new mechanism for performance output.

The performance output toy of the present invention comprises a magnetic sensor, a movable part having a first magnet that can be repositioned along a predetermined path along which the distance to the magnetic sensor changes, and a performance output part that performs a performance output according to the detection result of the magnetic sensor, and the movable part can be in a first state in which the first magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor on the path, and a second state in which the first magnet is outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor on the path. In addition, the performance output toy of the present invention comprises a main body having a first surface, a magnetic sensor arranged on the main body, a movable part arranged on the main body and rotating on a plane parallel to the first surface, a first magnet provided on the movable part, and a performance output part that performs a performance output according to the detection result of the magnetic sensor, and the movable part changes the position of the first magnet in a circumferential direction by the rotation, thereby changing the distance of the first magnet from the magnetic sensor, and can take a first state in which the first magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction, and a second state in which the first magnet is outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction.

In addition, in the performance output toy of the present invention, the movable part may have a second magnet at a position that can be changed along the path and at a different position from the first magnet, and may be capable of taking a first state in which only the first magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor on the path, a second state in which the first magnet and the second magnet are outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor on the path, and a third state in which only the second magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor on the path.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the first magnet and the second magnet are arranged in the movable part in orientations that result in different polarities being detected by the magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor is capable of detecting magnetism and the polarity of the detected magnetism, and the performance output part may perform different performance outputs depending on the difference in the polarity of the magnetism detected by the magnetic sensor.

The performance output toy according to the present invention may further include a main body to which the movable part is operably attached, and the magnetic sensor may be disposed on the main body.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the movable part may be a rotating body that rotates about a predetermined rotation axis, and the first magnet may be changed in position in the circumferential direction by the axial rotation.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the first magnet may be disposed on the periphery of the movable part.

The performance output toy according to the present invention may further include a main body to which the movable part is operably attached, the magnetic sensor is disposed on the main body, the movable part is a rotating body that rotates about a predetermined rotation axis, the rotation of the axis changes the positions of the first magnet and the second magnet in the circumferential direction, and the first magnet and the second magnet may be disposed on the movable part such that the movable part can transition from the first state or the third state via the second state to the third state or the first state.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the first magnet and the second magnet may be positioned symmetrically across the rotation axis, and the second state may be a state in which a midway point along the path between the first magnet and the second magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the first magnet and the second magnet may be arranged on the periphery of the movable part.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the magnetic sensor may be disposed in the main body at a position that overlaps with the path when viewed in the axial direction of the rotation shaft.

The performance output toy according to the present invention may further include a band portion connected to the main body portion and worn on the user's arm, the movable portion forming a bezel portion that can rotate on the main body portion, and the overall shape may be that of a wristwatch.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the movable part may have an engaged part on an opposing surface facing the main body part, and the main body part may have an engaging part that can engage with the engaged part when the movable part is in any state.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the main body has a display surface on which a pattern corresponding to each state of the movable part is drawn, and the movable part selectively shows a pattern from among the patterns on the display surface by rotating on the axis, and the state of the movable part and the position of the pattern on the display surface may be determined so that the pattern shown by the movable part corresponds to the current state of the movable part.

In addition, in the performance output toy according to the present invention, the movable part may have a cover member having a window portion formed in a portion thereof that exposes the display surface, and the position of the window portion in the cover member and the position of the pattern on the display surface may be determined so that a pattern corresponding to the current state of the movable part is displayed in the window portion.

In addition, the performance output toy according to the present invention may include a control circuit section built into the main body section to control the performance output of the performance output section.

The performance output toy according to the present invention may further include a reading unit that reads the identification information from a holder that holds the identification information, and the performance output unit may perform a performance output according to a combination of the detection result of the magnetic sensor and the identification information read by the reading unit.

The present invention makes it possible to realize a toy with a new mechanism for producing visual output.

FIG. FIG. Top view of the upper case. Top view of the lower case. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a first state of the bezel portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second state of the bezel portion. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a third state of the bezel portion. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a bezel shaft is inserted into a bezel shaft hole. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of a performance output table. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a performance output toy.

Below, with reference to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described using an example of a performance output toy with an overall shape of a wristwatch. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and the forms to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the following embodiment. In addition, in the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

[Overall configuration]
Fig. 1 is a front view showing a performance output toy 1 in this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the performance output toy 1. As shown in Fig. 1 etc., the performance output toy 1 includes a main body case 10 as a main body part, a bezel part 50 as a movable part that can rotate on the main body case 10, and a band part 8 for attaching the main body case 10 to the arm (wrist) of a user. In addition, the performance output toy 1 includes a first operation button 11 and a second operation button 13 on the side of the main body case 10 to allow the user to perform operation input.

The main case 10 is constructed by assembling an upper case 20 and a lower case 40 with screws or the like. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the state where the bezel portion 50 is removed from the main case 10 (i.e., the top surface of the upper case 20), and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state where the upper case 20 is removed from the main case 10 (i.e., the top surface of the lower case 40). In FIG. 4, the main internal components are outlined with dashed lines.

The upper case 20 constitutes the upper part of the main case 10, and has a medium insertion section 21 that removably accommodates a play medium 9 of a predetermined shape (see FIG. 2). The play medium 9 is a holder that holds the identification information of the play medium 9. The play medium 9 of this embodiment has a built-in storage medium, such as an IC tag or IC memory, that readably stores the identification information.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper case 20 has a through hole 23 that passes vertically (from the front to the back) near the center, and when the bezel portion 50 is removed from the main case 10, the bezel shaft hole 45 and the light-emitting portions 471 and 473 on the top surface of the lower case 40 are exposed upward.

In addition, the upper case 20 has, on its top surface, an elastic protrusion 25 as an engagement part that can be engaged with the recesses 691a, 691b, 691c (see FIG. 6) of the bezel part 50, and a speaker port 27a (27) for emitting a sound effect to the outside, which will be described later.

The top surface of the upper case 20 is the display surface 30, on which a plurality of different patterns 311, 313, 315 (three types in FIG. 3) are drawn in advance. In this embodiment, the display surface 30 is divided into four in the circumferential direction, and predetermined patterns 311, 313, 315 are drawn in predetermined positions on the display surface 30 by, for example, attaching stickers on which patterns 311, 313, 315 corresponding to each of the first to third states described below are printed to the top, bottom, and left three regions.

The lower case 40 is a roughly cylindrical box with an internal storage space, and as shown in FIG. 4 etc., stores the control board 41, speaker 42, built-in battery 43, etc. in appropriate locations. This allows the control board 41, speaker 42, etc. to be stored in the lower case 40 that constitutes the lower part of the main body case 10, away from the first magnet 611 and second magnet 613 described below and in a position inside their movement path L1 (i.e., a position that does not overlap with the first magnet 611 and second magnet 613 when viewed in the direction shown in FIG. 4 etc.), realizing an arrangement that is less susceptible to magnetic influence.

The control board 41 is equipped with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 411, an IC memory 413, a reading element 415, an output amplifier circuit 417, etc. as a control circuit section that controls the performance output. Other necessary electronic components can also be installed as appropriate.

The CPU 411 reads out the programs and data stored in the IC memory 413, performs calculations, and provides overall control over the operation of the performance output toy 1.

The reading element 415 is for reading the identification information from the play medium 9. For example, the reading element 415 is disposed at a position on the control board 41 where it can read the play medium 9 inserted into the medium insertion section 21, and reads the identification information from the play medium 9 using NFC (Near Field Communication). Note that the method for storing the identification information on the play medium 9 is not particularly limited, and the identification information may be coded and printed on the surface of the play medium 9, and then optically read.

The output amplifier circuit 417 outputs a sound signal of the effect sound to the speaker 42. The speaker 42 is disposed in a position in the lower case 40 below the speaker opening 27 (27a, 27b), and emits a predetermined effect sound through the speaker opening 27 in accordance with the sound signal from the output amplifier circuit 417.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lower case 40 has a bezel shaft hole 45 formed in the center of its top surface, two light-emitting elements 471, 473 arranged in the vicinity of the bezel shaft hole 45, and a magnetic sensor 49 arranged at a predetermined position on the edge.

The bezel shaft 63 (see FIG. 6) of the bezel part 50 is inserted into the bezel shaft hole 45, and the bezel shaft 63 is held rotatably via a bearing (not shown).

The light-emitting units 471 and 473 are configured using, for example, full-color LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and emit a predetermined performance light as a performance output unit. Note that the light-emitting units 471 and 473 may be configured to emit different performance lights, and may be configured to combine and arrange monochromatic LEDs, for example, one of which may be a red LED and the other a green LED.

The magnetic sensor 49 is configured using, for example, a Hall sensor, and is capable of detecting magnetism and detecting the polarity of the detected magnetism. This magnetic sensor 49 is for detecting two magnets 611, 613 (see FIG. 6) that the bezel part 50 has. Here, FIG. 4 shows the movement path L1 of each magnet 611, 613 when the bezel part 50 is rotated on the main body case 10 with a dashed line. As shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic sensor 49 is disposed at a position on the upper edge of the lower case 40 that overlaps with the movement path L1 when viewed from the axial direction of the bezel shaft 63. In other words, the magnetic sensor 49 is disposed at a position that allows it to face each magnet 611, 613 with the upper case 20 in between.

The bezel unit 50 is a rotating body having a structure in which an annular bezel 70 is fitted around the outer periphery of a disk-shaped cover member 60, and when attached to the main case 10, the cover member 60 covers the display surface 30 of the upper case 20. Figure 5 shows the front surface of the bezel unit 50, and Figure 6 shows the back surface of the bezel unit 50.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bezel portion 50 has a first magnet 611, a second magnet 613, and a bezel axis 63 as a rotation axis.

The first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are arranged in a predetermined position and in a predetermined direction on the periphery (edge of the back surface) of the back surface of the cover member 60, which is the opposing surface facing the main body case 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movement path L1 of each magnet 611, 613 is located on the periphery. This makes it possible to ensure a long movement path L1 of each magnet 611, 613 arranged on the rotatable bezel part 50. Therefore, it is easy to ensure the length of the movement path between the position where the first magnet 611 can be detected by the magnetic sensor 49 and the position where the first magnet 611 is not detected by the magnetic sensor 49, and erroneous detection of the first magnet 611 by the magnetic sensor 49 can be prevented or suppressed. In addition, it is easy to ensure the length of the movement path between the position where the second magnet 613 can be detected by the magnetic sensor 49 and the position where the second magnet 613 is not detected by the magnetic sensor 49, and erroneous detection of the second magnet 613 by the magnetic sensor 49 can be prevented or suppressed. In addition, a larger storage space can be secured inside the lower case 40 to accommodate the control board 41, speaker 42, built-in battery 43, etc.

Furthermore, the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are arranged at positions on the same circumference that forms the movement path L1 on the back edge, and in this embodiment, the magnets 611, 613 are arranged at positions symmetrical with respect to the bezel axis 63 so as to be the furthest on the movement path L1. In other words, the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are arranged in a positional relationship that is 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction. By arranging the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 in such a positional relationship, it becomes easy to ensure the length between the position where the first magnet 611 can be detected by the magnetic sensor 49 and the position where the second magnet 613 can be detected by the magnetic sensor 49, and erroneous detection of the first magnet 611 and the second magnet by the magnetic sensor 49 can be prevented or suppressed.

Each magnet 611, 613 is a cylindrical magnet with a north pole on one end and a south pole on the other end, and is arranged in the opposite direction so that the polarity detected by the magnetic sensor 49 is different. That is, the magnets 611, 613 are arranged so that the surfaces facing the magnetic sensor 49 are different. In this embodiment, the magnets 611, 613 are arranged on the back surface of the cover member 60 so that the polarity of the lower side, which is the side of the main body case 10, is, for example, the south pole for the first magnet 611 and the north pole for the second magnet 613. By arranging the surfaces of the magnets 611, 613 facing the magnetic sensor 49 in different directions, the magnetic sensor 49 can easily detect three states: a state in which the south pole faces the magnetic sensor 49, a state in which the north pole faces the magnetic sensor 49, and a state in which the magnet does not face the magnetic sensor 49.

The bezel shaft 63 is erected at the center of the back surface of the cover member 60. The bezel section 50 is attached to the main case 10 by inserting the bezel shaft 63 through the through hole 23 into the bezel shaft hole 45 of the lower case 40, and can rotate around the bezel shaft 63. This axial rotation allows the positions of the magnets 611, 613 to be changed in the circumferential direction along the movement path L1. Thus, by rotating the bezel section 50, it is possible to move only the first magnet 611 closer to the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49 or farther away from it, and it is also possible to move only the second magnet 613 closer to the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49 or farther away from it.

In other words, the bezel portion 50 allows the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 to be detected separately by the magnetic sensor 49 as the bezel portion 50 rotates about its axis, and is configured to be capable of taking a first state in which only the first magnet 611 is within the detectable range of the magnetic sensor 49, a second state in which the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are outside the detectable range of the magnetic sensor 49, and a third state in which only the second magnet 613 is within the detectable range of the magnetic sensor 49, as will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, a position marker 65 for aligning the bezel 50 with the main case 10 is disposed on the front side of the bezel 50. For example, the position marker 65 is disposed on the front surface of the cover member 60 so that the position in the first state described below is the 12 o'clock position.

The cover member 60 also has a window 67 that partially exposes the display surface 30 when attached to the main case 10. As described below, the patterns 311, 313, and 315 drawn on the display surface 30 of the upper case 20 are displayed in the window 67 as the bezel portion 50 rotates around its axis.

When the user turns the bezel portion 50 and the state of the toy 1 changes between the first to third states, the toy 1 outputs a performance according to the detection result of the magnetic sensor 49. In addition, the window portion 67 displays a picture according to the current state.

[Magnetic detection]
First, detection of the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 by the magnetic sensor 49 will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the first state of the bezel part 50 in this embodiment, Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the third state, and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the second state.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the axial rotation position of the bezel part 50 when the first magnet 611 overlaps with the magnetic sensor 49 as viewed from the axial direction of the bezel shaft 63 (the orientation of the bezel shaft 63 relative to the main body case 10) is defined as a first state, and as shown in FIG. 8, the axial rotation position of the bezel part 50 when the second magnet 613 overlaps with the magnetic sensor 49 as viewed from the axial direction of the bezel shaft 63 is defined as a third state.

9, the axial rotation position of the bezel part 50 when the midway part along the movement path L1 between the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 overlaps with the magnetic sensor 49 as viewed from the axial direction of the bezel shaft 63 is defined as the second state. For example, the midway part can be a position equidistant from the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 (a position 90 degrees away from each of the magnets 611, 613 in the circumferential direction).

According to this, when the bezel part 50 is in the first state, the first magnet 611 is closest to the magnetic sensor 49 and is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49. On the other hand, the second magnet 613 is away from the magnetic sensor 49 and is outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49, and is positioned at the farthest position from the magnetic sensor 49 on the moving path L1. Similarly, when the bezel part 50 is in the third state, the second magnet 613 is closest to the magnetic sensor 49 and is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49, while the first magnet 611 is outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49 and is positioned at the farthest position from the magnetic sensor 49 on the moving path L1. Also, when the bezel part 50 is in the second state, both the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor 49. In addition, the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are positioned on the moving path L1 at positions where both of the magnets 611, 613 are farthest from the magnetic sensor 49. Therefore, in the first state, the magnetic sensor 49 can reliably detect only the first magnet 611, and in the third state, the magnetic sensor 49 can reliably detect only the second magnet 613. In addition, in the second state, neither of the magnets 611, 613 is detected by the magnetic sensor 49, so that erroneous detection by the magnetic sensor 49 can be prevented or suppressed.

Here, the first to third states are in such a relationship that it is possible to transition from the first state or the third state to the first state or the third state via the second state. That is, when the bezel portion 50 is rotated 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow A51 from the second state shown in FIG. 9, it becomes the first state, and when it is rotated 90 degrees in the direction of the arrow A53, it becomes the third state. By creating such a transitional relationship, it becomes easy to simultaneously ensure the length of the movement path between the position where the first magnet 611 can be detected by the magnetic sensor 49 and the position where the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are not detected by the magnetic sensor 49, and the length of the movement path between the position where the second magnet 613 can be detected by the magnetic sensor 49 and the position where the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 are not detected by the magnetic sensor 49. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress erroneous detection of the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 by the magnetic sensor 49, while at the same time preventing or suppressing erroneous detection of the undetected state of the first magnet 611 and the second magnet 613 by the magnetic sensor 49.

To achieve the transitional relationship described above, for example, the bezel unit 50 needs to be able to rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise and 90 degrees clockwise (for an overall rotation of 180 degrees) based on the second state. Therefore, the performance output toy 1 is capable of restricting the range of rotation of the bezel unit 50 by a stopper mechanism consisting of the bezel shaft 63 and the bezel shaft hole 45 through which it is inserted. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the bezel shaft 63 is inserted into the bezel shaft hole 45.

As shown in FIG. 10, a protrusion 631 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bezel shaft 63. Meanwhile, a notch 451 is formed on the inner peripheral portion of the bezel shaft hole 45, which engages the protrusion 631 so that it can move in the circumferential direction over a range of movement of 180 degrees. Then, by inserting the bezel shaft 63 into the bezel shaft hole 45 and setting it to the state shown in FIG. 10 in which the protrusion 631 is located near the middle of the range of movement along the notch 451, the bezel part 50 can be set to the second state shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, the axial rotation position of the bezel part 50 can be easily aligned to the direction for the second state by aligning the position marker 65 provided on the surface of the bezel part 50 to 12 o'clock and inserting the bezel shaft 63 into the bezel shaft hole 45.

When the bezel portion 50 is rotated in the direction of the arrow A51 from the second state shown in FIG. 9, the protrusion 631 of the bezel shaft 63 moves 90 degrees counterclockwise until it abuts one edge 453 of the cutout portion 451, resulting in the first state shown in FIG. 7. Conversely, when the bezel portion 50 is rotated in the direction of the arrow A53 from the second state shown in FIG. 9, the protrusion 631 moves 90 degrees clockwise until it abuts the other edge 455 of the cutout portion 451, resulting in the third state shown in FIG. 8. In either case, the position marker 65 can be aligned to the 9 o'clock or 3 o'clock direction in the same manner as when the second state is achieved, allowing alignment to each state.

The performance output toy 1 is also capable of positioning the bezel portion 50 in any of the first to third states by a positioning mechanism formed by the elastic protrusion portion 25 of the upper case 20 and the recesses 691a, 691b, and 691c as the engaged portion with which it engages.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, a convex portion 69 having a smaller diameter than the outer edge is provided on the back surface of the cover member 60 by providing a step on the outer peripheral edge, and three recesses 691a, 691b, and 691c are formed on the outer edge of this convex portion 69. These three recesses 691a, 691b, and 691c are provided at positions 90 degrees apart from each other along the circumference so that one of them faces the elastic protrusion portion 25 in each of the first to third states. When the bezel portion 50 is in any state, the elastic protrusion portion 25 engages with one of the opposing recesses 691a, 691b, and 691c, thereby positioning the bezel portion 50. For example, in the first state shown in FIG. 7, the elastic protrusion portion 25 engages with the recess 691a, and the bezel portion 50 is positioned in the first state. In the third state, the elastic protrusion 25 engages with the recess 691b (see FIG. 8), and in the second state, the elastic protrusion 25 engages with the recess 691c (see FIG. 9). This makes it possible to easily inform the player of the timing of the state change even when a player with poor dexterity, such as a child, changes the state by rotating the bezel part 50. On the other hand, when a force is applied to rotate the bezel part 50 in any of the positioned states, the elastic protrusion 25 disengages from the recesses 691a, 691b, and 691c with which it was engaged, and the axial rotation of the bezel part 50 becomes possible. In FIG. 6, the locus L3 of the contact position of the elastic protrusion 25 accompanying the axial rotation of the bezel part 50 is shown by a two-dot chain line. For example, a ball plunger can be used for the elastic protrusion 25, and a clicking sensation can be realized at each position when the bezel part 50 is rotated.

[About the performance output]
In this embodiment, the state of the bezel part 50 is detected and identified from the detection result of the magnetic sensor 49, while different performance output contents are preset for each state of the bezel part 50, thereby performing a performance output according to the detection result of the magnetic sensor 49. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of a performance output table 501 in which the contents of the performance output are set.

As shown in FIG. 11, the performance output table 501 is a data table that sets the media presence/absence flag of the play medium 9, the identification number of the play medium 9, the state of the bezel section 50, and the content of the performance output in association with the performance number. In this performance output table 501, performance output contents related to each of the first to third states when the play medium 9 is not inserted are set (record with performance number "1"), and performance output contents related to each detected state are set for each identification number of the play medium 9 that can be inserted into the media insertion section 21 (records with performance numbers "2" and onward).

The media presence/absence flag is flag information indicating whether or not a play medium 9 is inserted into the media insertion section 21 (ON: media present/OFF: media not present).

The performance output content is defined by the sound data of the performance sound, the light emission color or light emission pattern of the performance light, or a combination thereof. The specific contents of this performance output content are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, for example, the performance output content corresponding to the first state and the third state is set with different combinations of both the sound data of the performance sound and the light emission color or light emission pattern of the performance light. On the other hand, only the sound data of the performance sound is set for the performance output content corresponding to the second state.

When the state of the performance output toy 1 changes as a result of the user turning the bezel portion 50, the performance output toy 1 emits a performance sound or emits a performance light according to the performance output content settings in the performance output table 501 based on the current state and, if a play medium 9 is inserted in the medium insertion portion 21, the type of play medium.

Here, the performance output toy 1 of this embodiment has two light-emitting units 471, 473, which are arranged near the center of the upper surface of the lower case 40. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, one light-emitting unit 471 is arranged near the root of the fan-shaped window unit 67 when the bezel unit 50 is in the first state. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the other light-emitting unit 473 is arranged near the root of the fan-shaped window unit 67 when the bezel unit 50 is in the third state. The performance output toy 1 is configured such that when in the first state, the light-emitting unit 471 is made to emit light to emit performance light from the window unit 67, and when in the third state, the light-emitting unit 473 is made to emit light to emit performance light from the window unit 67.

[About the display of images]
The three patterns 311, 313, and 315 drawn on the display surface 30 correspond to the first to third states, respectively. The position of the window 67 and the positions of the patterns on the display surface 30 are determined in advance so that the pattern corresponding to the current state of the bezel portion 50 is displayed in the window 67. In this embodiment, the shapes and sizes of the window 67 and the areas of the patterns 311, 313, and 315 are also determined so that the area of the display surface 30 exposed from the window 67 in each state becomes the area of the pattern related to the corresponding state.

Specifically, of the three patterns 311, 313, and 315 in FIG. 3, pattern 313 in the lower region corresponds to the first state, and in the first state shown in FIG. 7, pattern 313 is displayed in window 67. Similarly, pattern 311 in the upper region of FIG. 3 corresponds to the third state, and pattern 315 in the left region corresponds to the second state, and pattern 311 is displayed in window 67 in the third state shown in FIG. 8, and pattern 315 is displayed in window 67 in the second state shown in FIG. 9. In this way, the player can easily see which effect the effect output toy 1 is currently in and can output.

[Functional configuration]
Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the effect output toy 1. As shown in Fig. 12, the effect output toy 1 includes an operation input unit 100, a reading unit 110, a magnetic sensor 49, a effect output unit 200, a control unit 300, and a storage unit 500.

The operation input unit 100 outputs an operation input signal corresponding to the operation input by the user to the control unit 300. For example, this can be realized by a push switch, a dial switch, a lever switch, etc. For example, the first operation button 11 and the second operation button 13 in FIG. 1 correspond to this.

The reading unit 110 reads the identification information from the play medium 9 inserted into the medium insertion unit 21 and outputs it to the control unit 300. For example, this corresponds to the reading element 415 in FIG. 4.

The performance output unit 200 performs a performance output according to the detection result of the magnetic sensor 49. For example, it is configured to include a speaker 42 and light-emitting units 471 and 473, and under the control of the performance output control unit 303, it emits a performance sound and a performance light according to the state of the bezel unit 50 and the identification information read by the reading unit 110.

The control unit 300 is realized by, for example, a microprocessor such as a CPU or GPU, or electronic components such as an ASIC or IC memory, and controls the input and output of data between each part of the device. It then executes various types of calculation processing based on predetermined programs and data, operation input signals from the operation input unit 100, identification information from the reading unit 110, detection signals from the magnetic sensor 49, etc., and provides overall control over the operation of the performance output toy 1. For example, this corresponds to the CPU 411 mounted on the control board 41 in Figure 4.

The control unit 300 also includes a state determination unit 301 and a performance output control unit 303. These functional units may be processing blocks realized as software by executing a program, or may be circuit blocks realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

The state determination unit 301 determines the current state of the bezel unit 50 based on the detection signal input from the magnetic sensor 49. In this embodiment, the current state of the bezel unit 50 is determined as a first state when the magnetic sensor 49 detects the south pole, which is the polarity of the first magnet 611, and as a third state when the magnetic sensor 49 detects the north pole, which is the polarity of the second magnet 613. When the magnetic sensor 49 does not detect magnetism, the current state of the bezel unit 50 is determined as a second state.

The performance output control unit 303 performs performance output control according to the current state of the bezel unit 50. Also, when a game medium 9 is inserted into the medium insertion unit 21, the performance output control unit 303 performs performance output control according to the combination of the current state of the bezel unit 50 and the identification information. Specifically, based on the current state of the bezel unit 50 identified by the state determination unit 301, if identification information is input from the reading unit 110, the performance output control unit 303 uses this to read out the performance output content corresponding to the combination from the performance output table 501 (see FIG. 11). Then, the performance output control unit 303 controls the speaker 42 to emit a performance sound according to the read performance output content. In addition, when the current state of the identified bezel unit 50 is the first state, the light emission control unit 471 is performed to emit performance light through the window unit 67, while when the current state is the third state, the light emission control unit 473 is performed to emit performance light through the window unit 67.

The storage unit 500 stores in advance or temporarily stores each time processing is performed programs for operating the performance output toy 1 and implementing the various functions of the performance output toy 1, as well as data used during execution of these programs. For example, this can be implemented by IC memory such as RAM or ROM, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, or an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD. In FIG. 1, this corresponds to IC memory 1152.

This memory unit 500 stores a performance output table 501. Furthermore, when each part of the control unit 300 is realized as a processing block, a program is stored that the control unit 300 reads and executes to realize the functions of the state determination unit 301 and the performance output control unit 303. In addition, necessary data such as timers, counters, thresholds, and flags is stored as appropriate.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the current state of the bezel portion 50 can be identified from the detection results of the magnetic sensor 49, and a performance output can be performed according to the identified state. Furthermore, if a play medium 9 is inserted into the medium insertion portion 21, a performance output can be performed according to the combination with the identification information. Therefore, it is possible to realize a performance output toy 1 that has a new mechanism for performance output using magnets and magnetic sensors, and it is possible to increase the entertainment value of the performance output in the performance output toy 1.

The forms to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and components can be added, omitted, or modified as appropriate.

For example, in the above embodiment, the display surface 30 on the main case 10 side (upper case 20) is drawn with the patterns 311, 313, 315 corresponding to the first to third states, while the window 67 is provided on the bezel 50 side (cover member 60) covering the display surface 30, and the pattern corresponding to the current state of the bezel 50 is displayed in the window 67. However, the form is not particularly limited as long as the pattern corresponding to the current state of the movable part (e.g., the bezel part) is alternatively shown to the user by the axial rotation of the movable part. For example, in the performance output toy 1 of the above embodiment, the cover member 60 is made of a transparent material, so that all the patterns 311, 313, 315 are always visible. Also, an indication marker such as an arrow shape can be provided on the surface of the bezel 70, and the indication marker can be configured to point to the pattern corresponding to the current state of the bezel 50. In that case, the position of the indication marker and the position of each image can be adjusted so that the indication marker points to the corresponding image when in each of the first to third states.

In the above embodiment, the toy 1 is exemplified as having two magnets 611 and 613 on the bezel part 50, which is the movable part, but the number of magnets may be one. In that case, the movable part (e.g., the bezel part) is configured to be able to take a first state in which the magnet (first magnet) is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor on the movement path, and a second state in which the first magnet is outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor, and a performance output is performed according to the state of the movable part (i.e., the detection result of the magnetic sensor).

Reference Signs List 1: Toy for outputting effects 10: Main body case 20: Upper case 21: Medium insertion hole 23: Through hole 25: Elastic protrusion 27: Speaker port 30: Display surface 311, 313, 315: Picture 40: Lower case 41: Control board 411: CPU
413...IC memory 415...reading element 417...output amplifier circuit 42...speaker 45...bezel shaft hole 451...notch portion 471, 473...light emitting portion 49...magnetic sensor 50...bezel portion 60...cover member 611...first magnet 613...second magnet 63...bezel shaft 631...projection 65...position marker 67...window portion 691a, 691b, 691c...recess 8...band portion 110...reading portion 200...performance output portion 300...control portion 301...state determination portion 303...performance output control portion 500...storage portion 501...performance output table 9...game medium L1...movement path

Claims (16)

a body having a first surface;
A magnetic sensor disposed in the main body portion;
a movable part disposed on the main body part and rotating on a plane parallel to the first plane;
A first magnet provided in the movable portion;
A performance output unit that outputs a performance according to a detection result of the magnetic sensor;
Equipped with
the movable part changes a position of the first magnet in a circumferential direction by the rotation, thereby changing a distance of the first magnet from the magnetic sensor, and can take a first state in which the first magnet is within a detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction and a second state in which the first magnet is outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction;
A performance output toy. The movable part is
a second magnet at a position that is variable along the circumferential direction and different from the first magnet;
the first state in which only the first magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction, the second state in which the first magnet and the second magnet are outside the detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction, and the third state in which only the second magnet is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor in the circumferential direction;
The toy according to claim 1 . the first magnet and the second magnet are disposed in the movable part such that the polarities detected by the magnetic sensor are oriented in different directions,
The magnetic sensor is capable of detecting magnetism and detecting a polarity of the detected magnetism,
The performance output unit performs different performance outputs depending on the difference in the polarity of the magnetism detected by the magnetic sensor.
The effect output toy according to claim 2. The movable part is composed of a plate-shaped member.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The movable portion is a rotating body that rotates about a rotation axis perpendicular to the first surface, and the rotation of the axis changes the position of the first magnet in the circumferential direction.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The first magnet is disposed on the periphery of the movable part.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The movable portion changes the positions of the first magnet and the second magnet in the circumferential direction,
the first magnet and the second magnet are disposed in the movable part such that the movable part can transition from the first state or the third state to the third state or the first state via the second state;
The toy according to claim 2 or 3. the movable portion is a rotating body that rotates about a predetermined rotation axis,
the first magnet and the second magnet are disposed at positions symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis,
the second state is a state in which a midway portion between the first magnet and the second magnet in the circumferential direction is within a detection range of the magnetic sensor;
The effect output toy according to claim 7. The first magnet and the second magnet are disposed on a periphery of the movable part.
The presentation output toy according to claim 8 . The magnetic sensor is disposed in the main body at a position overlapping with a path of change in position in the circumferential direction as viewed from an axial direction of the rotation shaft.
The toy according to claim 8 or 9 . a band portion connected to the main body portion and to be worn on a user's arm;
Further comprising:
the movable portion constitutes a bezel portion rotatable on the main body portion,
The overall shape is that of a wristwatch.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 8 to 10. the movable portion has an engaged portion on an opposing surface facing the main body portion,
The main body portion has an engaging portion that can engage with the engaged portion when the movable portion is in any state.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 8 to 11. the main body has a display surface on which a pattern corresponding to each state of the movable part is drawn,
the movable portion selectively displays a pattern from among the patterns on the display surface by rotating along the axis;
The state of the movable part and the position of the picture on the display surface are determined so that the picture shown by the movable part corresponds to the current state of the movable part.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 8 to 12. the movable portion has a cover member having a window portion formed in a part thereof through which the display surface is exposed,
a position of the window in the cover member and a position of the pattern on the display surface are determined so that a pattern corresponding to a current state of the movable part is displayed in the window;
The toy according to claim 13 . A control circuit unit for controlling the performance output of the performance output unit;
The main body portion is provided with
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 1 to 14. a reading unit that reads the identification information from a holder that holds the identification information,
The performance output unit performs a performance output according to a combination of the detection result of the magnetic sensor and the identification information read by the reading unit.
The effect output toy according to any one of claims 1 to 15.