A 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.

Claims

1. 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; wherein the sensor system comprises at least two electromagnetic coils each configured to sense a time-varying magnetic field; wherein each electromagnetic coil defines a coil axis and wherein the coil axes of the at least two coils define an angle between the coil axes, the angle being larger than zero degrees; wherein the electronic toy module is configured to measure the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field generated or modified by corresponding coils of another electronic toy module.

2. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the first electronic toy module is configured to harvest energy for operating the first function device from an electromagnetic field via at least one of the one or more electromagnetic coils.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the sensor system comprises three electromagnetic coils.

6. (canceled)

7. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the sensor system comprises one or more magnetometers.

8. The modular toy system according to claim 7; wherein the sensor system consists of two electromagnetic coils and a single magnetometer.

9. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the sensor system is further configured to detect an orientation of the first electronic toy module relative to a geomagnetic field.

10. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the second electronic toy module comprises 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 the first electronic toy module relative to the second electronic toy module.

11. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the at least two coordinates comprise a distance between the second electronic toy module and the first electronic toy module.

12. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the sensor system is configured to detect three independent orientation coordinates.

13. The modular toy system according to claim 1; wherein the electronic toy modules are mechanically interconnectable with each other so as to form a toy assembly; wherein the sensor system is configured to monitor a coordinate value of at least one of the coordinates; and wherein the modular toy system comprises a processor configured to determine, based on the monitored coordinate value, whether or not the first and second electronic toy modules are mechanically interconnected.

14. The modular toy system according to claim 13; wherein the processor is configured to detect, based at least on the monitored coordinate value, a physical topology of said set of electronic toy modules in said toy assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] FIG. 1 shows an example of an electronic toy module in the form of an electronic toy construction element.

[0071] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an example of an electronic toy module in the form of an electronic toy construction element.

[0072] FIG. 3 illustrates operation of an example of electronic toy construction elements.

[0073] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of another example of an electronic toy module formed by two electronic toy construction elements.

[0074] FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements as described herein.

[0075] FIG. 6 schematically shows another example of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements as described herein.

[0076] FIGS. 7-10 illustrate examples of uses of a toy construction system as described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] Various aspects and embodiments of a modular toy system comprising a plurality of electronic toy modules will now be described with reference to toy construction elements in the form of bricks. In these particular and corresponding embodiments, the electronic toy modules are each formed as one or more electronic toy construction elements which each have a housing that is generally shaped as an orthogonal polyhedron with flat side faces and having coupling members extending from its upper surface and a cavity extending into its bottom surfaces. However, other shapes and sizes of electronic toy construction elements may be used, e.g. box-shaped or tile-shaped toy construction elements of different dimensions and with different numbers of coupling members. Moreover, while the brick-shape has proven to be particularly useful, the invention may be applied to other forms of toy construction elements for use in play applications, educational applications and/or the like.

[0078] FIG. 1 shows an example of an electronic toy module in the form of an electronic toy construction element, generally designated 100. In particular, the electronic toy construction element comprises a generally box-shaped housing 101 with coupling pegs 104 extending from its top surface and with a cavity extending into the element from the bottom. The cavity is defined by side walls 102 and by a central, downwardly extending tube 103. The coupling pegs of another toy construction element can be received in the cavity in a frictional engagement as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282. The construction elements shown in the remaining figures have this known type of coupling members in the form of cooperating pegs and cavities. However, other types of coupling members may also be used in addition to or instead of the pegs and cavities. The coupling pegs are arranged across the top surface in a square planar grid, i.e. defining orthogonal directions along which sequences of coupling pegs are arranged. The distance between neighbouring coupling pegs is uniform and equal in both directions. This or similar arrangements of coupling members at coupling locations defining a regular planar grid allow the toy construction elements to be interconnected in a discrete number of positions and orientations relative two each other, in particular at right angles with respect to each other. In a constructed model, the coupling members of multiple toy construction elements may thus be located on grid points of a three-dimensional grid defined relative to the toy construction model.

[0079] In some embodiments, the toy construction elements are made from plastics material, e.g. thermoplastic polymers, or from another suitable material. The toy construction elements may e.g. be made by an injection molding process or by another suitable manufacturing process.

[0080] The electronic toy construction element 100 comprises a function device in the form of a loudspeaker 105 or other sound source accommodated within the housing 101 of the electronic toy construction element. It will be appreciated that other examples of electronic toy construction elements may comprise another type of function device (e.g. a light source, a motor, etc.). Some embodiments of the electronic toy construction element may, alternative to or in addition to the function device, comprise a sensor, such as a sound sensor, a light sensor, etc. It will further be appreciated that other embodiments of toy construction systems may include electronic toy construction elements of different shapes or sizes, e.g. so as to accommodate the specific sensors of function devices and/or in order to make them more easily distinguishable by the user.

[0081] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an example of an electronic toy module formed as an electronic toy construction element, generally designated 100, e.g. of the electronic toy construction element shown in FIG. 1.

[0082] The electronic toy construction element comprises a housing 101. In this example, the housing defines a top face that is provided with coupling members 104 as described above; it will be appreciated that other embodiments may include other types of housing. The electronic toy construction element further comprises, accommodated within housing 101, a control circuit 209, two electromagnetic coils 207, a magnetometer 208, a function device 205 and a rechargeable battery 210.

[0083] Each electromagnetic coil defines a coil axis around which the coil extends. The electromagnetic coils 207 are arranged with their coil axes being arranged orthogonal to each other. In particular, the electromagnetic coils 207 are arranged such that one coil is arranged with its coil axis parallel with the top face of the housing while the other coil is arranged with its coil axis parallel to one of the side faxes of the housing. In this manner, the electromagnetic coils can harvest energy in different orientations of the housing relative to an external electromagnetic field. Also, the electromagnetic coils may detect position and/or orientation coordinates of another, similar electronic toy construction element having similar arrangements of electromagnetic coils. It will be appreciated, however, that other arrangements are possible.

[0084] The electronic toy construction element may receive electrical energy via the electromagnetic coils 207 for charging the battery 210, which in turn powers the control circuit 209 and the function device 205.

[0085] The function device 205 may be a light source, e.g. an LED, a loudspeaker, a motor, and or another function device operable to perform a user-perceivable function.

[0086] The control circuit 209 may comprise one or more microcontrollers, one or more microprocessors, and/or one or more other suitable processing units, or combinations thereof.

[0087] The magnetometer 208 may be arranged to measure the strength of an external magnetic field, in particular of a static magnetic field, e.g. the geomagnetic field, along at least one direction, e.g. a direction across the plane defined by the coil axes of the electromagnetic coils, e.g. orthogonal to that plane. The magnetometer may be embedded on the same chip as the control circuit 209. In particular, the magnetometer may be arranged to only measure the strength of an external magnetic field along a single direction.

[0088] The electronic toy construction element may comprise additional components, e.g. a communications circuit that may be operable for two-way communication with other electronic toy construction elements and/or with other processing devices. Accordingly, the electronic toy construction element may be operable to communicate its identity and/or operational characteristics, e.g. by communicating a unique identifier and/or an identifier identifying a type of electronic toy construction element, e.g. whether it comprises a motor, light source, loudspeaker etc. Moreover, in some embodiments, the electronic toy construction element may communicate a sensor signal representing a quantity sensed by a sensor of the electronic toy construction element or an operational parameter of the electronic toy construction model, e.g. an excitation strength of the coils.

[0089] In some embodiments, the electronic toy construction element includes a light sensor, a sound sensor, a rotational encoder, an accelerometer, a gyro, and/or any other suitable sensor.

[0090] The electromagnetic coils and/or the magnetometer are operable to detect the orientation of the electronic toy construction element relative to the geomagnetic field. In one embodiment, the magnetometer is operable to detect the strength of the geomagnetic field along a single direction or along two or even three directions. This in turn may serve as an indication of the orientation of the electronic toy construction element relative to a reference frame. Moreover, the electronic toy construction element may be configured to energize the electromagnetic coils and/or to measure the strength and/or direction of a magnetic field generated or modified by corresponding coils of another electronic toy construction element. In this manner, based on measurements by the electromagnetic coils and the magnetometer, the electronic toy construction element may detect a distance to and a relative orientation of another electronic toy construction element. Moreover, by monitoring the distance and/or relative orientation over time, the electronic toy construction element may detect whether the electronic toy construction elements move or are stationary relative to each other. In this manner, the electronic toy construction element may determine which other electronic toy construction elements are mutually interconnected within a coherent toy construction model.

[0091] FIG. 3 illustrates two electronic toy modules 300A and 300B, respectively, of the type shown in FIG. 2. The electronic toy modules 300A and 300B may include the same type of function device or different types of function devices. The electronic toy module 300A is operable to detect the distance between the electronic toy module 300B and the electronic toy module 300A and the relative orientation between them, e.g. as three angles defining the rotation of an internal coordinate system 311B of the electronic toy module 300B relative to an internal coordinate system 311A of the electronic toy module 300A. The angles may thus describe a pitch, yaw and roll, respectively, of the module 300B relative to the module 300A. Similarly, electronic toy module 300B may detect the corresponding distance and relative orientation of module 300A. When the electronic toy modules are operable to communicate with each other, they may further exchange information about their identity and/or the type of function device they include and/or about their respective operational states, etc. For example, the electronic toy modules may exchange information about the measured strengths of a geomagnetic field measured by their respective magnetometers. Alternatively or additionally, they may exchange information about the excitation strength of their respective coils. It will be appreciated that, if the excitation strength is predefined or otherwise known a priori, this information may not need to be communicated.

[0092] Accordingly, toy module 300A may know the measured strength of the geomagnetic filed measured by the magnetometer of toy module 300B and toy module 300A may further know the excitation strengths of the coils of toy module 300B. The toy module 300A may measure the magnetic field sensed by each of the coils of toy module 300A and toy module 300A may measure the strength of the geomagnetic field by its magnetometer.

[0093] As the measured magnetic field by the coils of toy module 300A depend on the relative orientation and distance between the toy modules, and as the measured geomagnetic field measured by each toy module depends on their respective orientation relative to the geomagnetic field, toy module 300A may determine the relative orientation and distance between the toy modules 300A and 300B based on its own measurements (by the coils and the magnetometer of toy module 300A), based on the received (or otherwise known) information about the excitation strengths of the coils of toy module 300B and based on the received information about the measured strength of the geomagnetic field as measured by toy module 300B.

[0094] Generally, the inventors have realised that the a toy module can compute the distance to another toy module and the relative orientation (pitch, yaw and role) between two toy modules using two readings from two electromagnetic coils and from a single direction of geomagnetic sensing. To this end each toy module comprises two electromagnetic coils which may also be used for short-range communication that can be built into the ASIC of the toy module as a single plane Hall effect sensor.

[0095] It will be appreciated that other sensor configurations or sets of data may be used. For example, when each toy module includes three coils oriented along three different directions, the measurements of each coil of one toy module and the knowledge of excitation strengths of the coils of the other toy module may be sufficient to compute the distance and relative orientation between the toy modules.

[0096] Based on their relative distance and orientation, the electronic toy module 300A may determine whether it is physically connected to electronic toy module 300B, e.g. as part of the same coherent toy construction model—or at least whether it is likely to be thus interconnected. To this end, the electronic toy module may determine whether the measured distance and orientation is consistent with the limitations imposed by the toy construction system. Alternatively or additionally, the electronic toy module may monitor the relative distance and/or relative orientation over a period of time. If the distance and/or relative orientation remains constant, the electronic toy module may determine that the elements are indeed interconnected.

[0097] In particular, the electronic toy module 300A may monitor the distance and/or relative orientation during a period where it detects changes of its own orientation relative to the geomagnetic field. If the distance and/or relative orientation between the modules 300A and 300B remain unchanged during such detected change of the geomagnetic field, each of the modules may determine that it is physically interconnected with the respective other module.

[0098] FIG. 4 illustrates another example of an electronic toy module, generally designated by reference numeral 400. In this example, the electronic toy module 400 is itself constructed from two individual electronic toy construction elements, namely from a function toy construction element 420 and a control toy construction element 430, respectively. Each of the function toy construction element and the control toy construction element comprises a housing having coupling members, e.g. as described in connection with the electronic toy construction element of FIG. 1. The function toy construction element 420 is stacked on top of the control toy construction element 430 such that the two elements are interconnected by their respective coupling members.

[0099] The function toy construction element 420 and the control toy construction element 430 each comprises a respective interface 421 for transferring energy and/or control signals from the control toy construction element to the function toy construction element. The interface 421 may be an interface relying on a conductive contact or it may be a contactless, e.g. inductive interface.

[0100] The function toy construction element further comprises a function device 205 and, optionally its own control circuit 209, e.g. as described in connection with the electronic toy construction element of FIG. 2.

[0101] The control toy construction element comprises, accommodated inside its housing, a control circuit 409, electromagnetic coils 207, a magnetometer 208 and a rechargeable battery 210, all as described in connection with the respective components of the electronic toy construction element of FIG. 2.

[0102] Hence, the control toy construction element and the function toy construction element together are operable to perform the same functions as the electronic toy module of FIG. 2 and they include the same components for performing these functions. However, the components are distributed between two physically separable toy construction elements.

[0103] The control toy construction element further comprises a wireless communications circuit 431. The communications circuit 431 may e.g.

[0104] comprise a communications transceiver, or the like, and an antenna operable for short-range radio-frequency communication with other control toy construction elements and/or with other electronic toy construction elements and/or with one or more other electronic devices. The short-range radio-frequency communication may be implemented using the Bluetooth technology or another suitable communications technology such as Wifi.

[0105] The control circuit 409 is configured, e.g. by a suitable program executed on a microprocessor, to control the various components of the control toy construction element as well as the function device 205. In particular, the control circuit 409 may perform the detection of distances and orientations of other electronic toy construction elements within a detection range of the element 430.

[0106] FIGS. 5-6 illustrate examples of toy construction models constructed from a toy construction system as described herein. In particular, the toy construction models include a plurality of electronic toy modules, e.g. as described in connection with FIG. 2 or 4. While not necessarily explicitly shown in FIGS. 5-6 for ease of illustration, it will be appreciated that examples of toy construction models may include further toy construction elements, including toy construction elements other than electronic toy construction elements.

[0107] FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements as described herein. In the example of FIG. 5, the toy construction model 1024 is a vehicle, such as a car, but it will of course be appreciated that toy construction models representing other items may be constructed. The toy construction model 1024 is constructed from a plurality of conventional toy construction elements and from a number of electronic toy modules 400A-D. In the example of FIG. 5, the electronic toy modules are of the type described in connection with FIG. 4, i.e. they each comprise a function toy construction element 420A-D, respectively, and a control toy construction element 430A-D, respectively. Each function toy construction element is inductively coupled (directly or indirectly) with one of the control toy construction elements. In the specific example of FIG. 10, the toy construction model comprises four control toy construction elements 430A-D, respectively, each physically connected and inductively coupled to a respective function toy construction element 420A-D, e.g. as described in connection with FIG. 4. Each of the function toy construction elements 420A-D comprises a motor for driving a shaft 721A-D, respectively, that is inserted into a hole of the electronic toy construction element. Each shaft is attached to a corresponding wheel 1023A-D, respectively, such that each electronic toy construction element is operable to drive a corresponding one of the wheels.

[0108] The control toy construction elements are spaced apart from each other within the model and are not inductively coupled with each other. Nevertheless, they may wirelessly communicate with each other via their respective wireless communications interfaces by short-range wireless communication. This may allow for a coordinated control of the respective motors. For example, one of the control toy construction elements may operate as a master that sends control signals to the other control toy construction elements, the control signals including e.g. on/off signals, speed and/or direction signals. Alternatively, each control toy construction element may operate autonomously. For example, each control toy construction element may control the motor of the function toy construction element inductively coupled to it responsive to sensor signals from an encoder included in the electronic toy construction element inductively coupled to the control toy construction element. In particular, in one example, when the encoder detects that the wheel is turned due to an external torque (e.g. because the user pushes the vehicle across a surface), the control toy construction element may control the motor in the same direction as the detected rotation, e.g. for a predetermined period of time or for a time dependent on the detected duration during which the wheel has been turned.

[0109] In order to coordinate operation of the motors, the control construction elements may detect the relative orientations of the other toy construction elements as described herein.

[0110] FIG. 6 schematically shows another example of a toy construction model constructed from toy construction elements as described herein. The example of FIG. 6 is similar to the example of FIG. 5 except that each of the electronic toy construction modules 400A-D is formed as a single electronic toy construction element, e.g. as in the example of FIG. 2.

[0111] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a use of a toy construction system as described herein. In particular, FIG. 7 illustrates a toy construction set comprising toy construction elements from which toy construction models 820, 1110 and 1120 have been constructed. In particular, the toy construction set comprises electronic toy construction modules in the form of electronic toy construction elements 100, 200, 300 and 400. Electronic toy construction element 100 is an electronic toy construction element as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2; it includes a function device in the form of a loudspeaker. Electronic toy construction element 200 is an electronic toy construction element as described in connection with FIG. 2; it includes a function device in the form of an LED light source. Electronic toy construction element 300 is an electronic toy construction element as described in connection with FIG. 2 with a function device in the form of a motor for driving a shaft 1121 insertable into a hole of the housing of the electronic toy construction element 300. Electronic toy construction element 400 has the shape of a torso of a figurine.

[0112] The toy construction model 820 is in the form of a figurine or doll. In particular, it includes electronic toy construction element 400 which includes a wireless communications circuit operable to communicate with corresponding wireless communications circuits of the electronic toy construction elements 100-300. Moreover, each of the electronic toy construction elements 100-400 includes a respective sensor system for detecting their relative distances and orientations with relative to each other. In particular, each of the electronic toy construction elements may comprise two electromagnetic coils and a magnetometer as described in connection with FIG. 2.

[0113] Toy construction model 1110 comprises electronic toy construction elements 100 and 200 as well as additional, non-electronic toy construction elements, such as conventional toy construction elements. In this specific example, the additional toy construction elements include a transparent, dome-shaped cover 1111 that is attachable to electronic toy construction element 200 so as to create a void for accommodating another toy construction element 1112. Hence, light emitted by the light source of electronic toy construction element 200 illuminates toy construction element 1112 and provides a visible effect, observable by the user through the transparent dome-shaped cover.

[0114] Toy construction model 1120 comprises electronic toy construction element 300 as well as additional, non-electronic toy construction elements, such as conventional toy construction elements. In this specific example, the additional toy construction elements include a shaft 1121 inserted into the hole of electronic toy construction element 300, and an elongated bar 1122 attached to shaft 1121 such that the bar is pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position.

[0115] Electronic toy construction element 200 may be configured to detect the presence of electronic toy construction element 400 and detect its distance from and relative orientation relative toy construction element 200. Electronic toy construction element may thus detect movements of the figurine relative to the model 1110. Responsive to such detection, the electronic toy construction element 200 may control its light source to emit light. Similarly, electronic toy construction element 100 may emit a sound, e.g. simulating a siren, when it detects that the figurine 820 is approaching. In some embodiments, an attribute of the light (e.g. a blinking frequency, a color, an intensity, etc.) and/or an attribute of the sound (e.g. a volume, a pitch, etc.) may be controlled by the respective electronic toy construction element responsive to aspects of the movement, e.g. the speed of movement, whether the figurine moves towards or away from model 1110, the type of detected electronic toy construction element 400, an estimated distance to the figurine 820 and/or the like.

[0116] Electronic toy construction element 100 and/or 200 may further communicate with electronic toy construction element 300 via their respective wireless short-range communications circuits. For example, electronic toy construction element 100 and/or 200 may communicate information about the detected figurine 820 to electronic toy construction element 300. Responsive to the received information, electronic toy construction element 300 may the motor so as to raise or lower bar 1122. Alternatively or additionally, electronic toy construction element 300 may be triggered to control operation of its motor in a different manner. For example, electronic toy construction element may itself detect the presence of figurine 820.

[0117] Accordingly, the above example illustrates that relatively involved game scenarios may be implemented with only a few relatively inexpensive electronic toy construction elements described herein.

[0118] In the following, various examples of other play scenarios that can be implemented with embodiments of a toy construction system described herein will be described.

[0119] FIG. 8 illustrates another example of a toy construction set. The toy construction set of FIG. 8 includes toy construction models 1310-1340 each including one or more electronic toy modules in the form of electronic construction elements. In particular, toy construction model 1310 is an elongated wand constructed from multiple conventional toy construction elements and from electronic toy construction element 400.

[0120] Toy construction model 1320 includes an electronic toy construction element 200 that includes a light source.

[0121] Toy construction model 1330 resembles a figurine and includes an electronic toy construction element (not explicitly visible in FIG, 8) which includes a motor for effecting rotation of the figurine.

[0122] Toy construction model 1340 resembles a musical instrument and includes electronic toy construction elements 100A-C, each including a loudspeaker.

[0123] When the user moves the wand 1310, the motion is detected by the electronic toy construction elements 200, 100-A-C of the other toy construction models.

[0124] Responsive to the detected motion, the electronic toy construction elements of toy construction models 1320-1340 may control their respective function devices to perform their various functions, e.g. to cause the figurine 1330 to turn, the light of electronic toy construction element 200 to emit light and/or the electronic toy construction elements 100A-C to play a musical tune.

[0125] FIG. 9 illustrates yet another example of a toy construction set. The toy construction set of FIG. 9 includes a figurine 820 as described in connection with FIG. 7 and a toy construction model 1410. The toy construction model 1410 comprises an electronic toy construction element 300 including a motor. Electronic toy construction element 300 is configured to rotate a rotatable part 1411 of toy construction model 1410 that is shaped as a head of an animal or other creature.

[0126] Figurine 820 includes an electronic toy construction element 400 as described above. Electronic toy construction element 300 is configured to detect a user-induced motion of the figurine 820. Responsive to the detected motion, electronic toy construction element 300 operates its motor so as to mimic the detected movement by the rotatable head 1411.

[0127] Accordingly, similar to the example of FIG. 8, the figurine may thus be operable as a wand or controller operable to control a function of toy construction model 1410.

[0128] FIG. 10 illustrates yet another example of a toy construction set. The toy construction set of FIG. 10 includes toy construction models 1510 and 1520 each including one or more electronic toy construction elements. In particular, toy construction model 1310 is a wearable toy construction model. It includes a wearable component, such as a wristband 1511, which comprises coupling members to which other toy construction elements can be attached. In the present example, toy construction model 1510 includes an electronic toy construction element 400 that includes a sensor system as described herein.

[0129] Toy construction element 1520 resembles a car. It includes one or more electronic toy construction elements (not explicitly shown) for driving one or more wheels of the car, e.g. as described in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6. The toy construction model 1520 further comprises an electronic toy construction element (not explicitly shown) for actuating a steering mechanism of the car.

[0130] The electronic toy construction elements of the car are operable to detect movements of the electronic toy construction element 400 of wearable toy construction model 1510 and thus movements of the user's hand when the wearable component is worn around the wrist of the user. The electronic toy construction elements of the car 1520 may then control the wheels and steering mechanism responsive to the detective movements, e.g. so as to propel and steer the car.

[0131] Embodiments of the control circuits of the electronic toy construction elements described herein can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and/or at least in part by means of a suitably programmed microprocessor.

[0132] In the claims enumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied by one and the same element, component or item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims or described in different embodiments does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0133] It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, elements, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components or groups thereof.