Remote control toy, radio unit and drive unit used for the same, and idenfication-code setting method for the same

Abstract

In a remote control toy ( 1 ) including a radio unit ( 2 ) and a drive unit ( 3 ) which is remotely controlled based on a control signal from the radio unit ( 2 ), the radio unit ( 2 ) detects transmission situations of control signals from other radio units ( 2 ), and selects one unused identification code based on detection results. Moreover, the radio unit ( 2 ) generates a code notification signal to instruct setting of the selected identification code to the drive unit ( 3 ), and transmits the generated code notification signal. In the drive unit ( 3 ), the code notification signal is received, the selected identification code is discriminated based on the received code notification signal, and the discriminated identification code is set as the own identification code.

1 . A remote control toy comprising: 
 a radio unit for transmitting a control signal including any one code being set to itself among a plurality of predetermined identification codes, receiving control signals including the identification codes transmitted from other radio units, and determining a transmission timing of its own control signal; and    a drive unit for being remotely controlled by the radio unit based on the control signal, and the drive unit, determining whether remote control can be performed or not according to the control signal, the determination based on the identification code being set to itself and the identification codes included in the control signals, wherein    the radio unit comprises:    an identification-code selection device which detects control signals from the other radio units, responding to satisfaction of predetermined identification-code set conditions, and selects one unused identification code based on detected results to set the selected code as a self-identification code;    a notification-signal generation device which generates a code notification signal for notifying the drive unit of the identification code selected by the identification-code selection device; and    a notification-signal transmission device which transmits the generated code notification signal; and    the drive unit comprises:    a notification-signal receiving device which receives the code notification signal;    a code discrimination device which discriminates the selected identification code, based on the received code notification signal; and    a code set device which sets the discriminated identification code as the self-identification code.    
     
     
         2 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the identification-code set conditions are satisfied when a first specific operation indispensable for starting a game is executed by the radio unit, and the identification-code selection device in the radio unit starts detection of the control signal.    
     
     
         3 . The remote control toy according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the first specific operation is a power-on operation on the radio unit.    
     
     
         4 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the identification-code selection device discriminates a remaining identification code except identification codes included in the detected control signal among the plurality of identification codes as the unused identification code.    
     
     
         5 . The remote control toy according to  claim 4 , wherein 
 when there are two or more identification codes determined as unused, the identification-code selection device selects any one of the identification codes according to a predetermined order.    
     
     
         6 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the control signal includes instruction-decide information for deciding whether setting of the identification code has been instructed or not in the code discrimination device, the notification-signal generation device, while including in the control signal an identification code which the identification-code selection device has selected, generates the code notification signal by setting the instruction-decide information in a state in which setting of the identification code is instructed, and the notification-signal transmission device transmits the code notification signal at a transmission timing corresponding to the identification code set in the code notification signal.    
     
     
         7 . The remote control toy according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the code discrimination device in the drive unit discriminates, based on the instruction-decide information included in the control signal, whether setting of the identification code has been instructed or not, and, when it is decided that the setting of the identification code has been instructed, the identification code included in the control signal giving the instruction is decided as the selected identification code.    
     
     
         8 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the drive unit further comprises a setting control device which switches enabling and disabling setting of the identification code, the code set device sets the identification code based on the code notification signal, when setting of the identification code has been enabled by the setting control device, and the code set device does not set the identification code based on the code notification signal, when setting of the identification code has been disabled by the setting control device.    
     
     
         9 . The remote control toy according to  claim 8 , wherein 
 the setting control device makes setting of the identification code enable only for a predetermined set enabling period after a second specific operation indispensable for starting a game is performed on the drive unit, and makes setting of the identification code disable thereafter.    
     
     
         10 . The remote control toy according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the second specific operation is a power-on operation on the drive unit.    
     
     
         11 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the identification code is set in each radio unit and drive unit by storing an identification code selected by the identification-code selection device in a storage device of each radio unit and drive unit.    
     
     
         12 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the radio unit further comprises a set reservation device which reserves setting of the identification code when the code selection device determines, from detected results of control signals from the other radio units, that there is no unused identification code.    
     
     
         13 . The remote control toy according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a selection-result notification device which notifies the identification code selected by the identification-code selection device to a user, and the selection-result notification device being provided at least in either the radio unit or the drive unit.    
     
     
         14 . A radio unit for a remote control toy, comprising: 
 an identification-code selection device which detects control signals from the other radio units, responding to satisfaction of predetermined identification-code set conditions, and selects one unused identification code based on detected results to set the selected code as a self-identification code;    a notification-signal generation device which generates a code notification signal for notifying a drive unit of the self-identification code selected by the identification code selection device; and    a notification-signal transmission device which transmits the generated code notification signal,    wherein the radio unit transmits to the drive unit a control signal for remotely controlling the drive unit, the control signal includes the self-identification code selected from among a plurality of predetermined identification codes in the control signal to specify the drive unit for remote control, and the radio unit receives other control signals including the identification codes transmitted from the other radio units to determine a transmission timing of its own control signal.    
     
     
         15 . A drive unit for a remote control toy, comprising: 
 a notification-signal receiving device which receives a code notification signal sent from a radio unit for notifying the drive unit of an identification code which is set by the radio unit as a self-identification code;    a code discrimination device which discriminates the identification code set by the radio unit, based on the received code notification signal; and    a code set device which sets the discriminated identification code as the self-identification code,    wherein the drive unit determines, based on the identification code included in a control signal from the radio unit and the identification code being set to itself, whether remote control can be performed or not according to the control signal.    
     
     
         16 . A method for setting an identification code for a remote control toy comprising a radio unit and a drive unit being remotely controlled based on a control signal from the radio unit, the method comprising: 
 detecting in the radio unit control signals from the other radio units, responding to satisfaction of predetermined identification-code set conditions, and    selecting in the radio unit one unused identification code based on detected results to set the selected code as a self-identification code;    generating in the radio unit a code notification signal to notify the drive unit of the self-identification code;    transmitting the generated code notification signal from the radio unit;    discriminating in the drive unit the selected identification code based on the received code notification signal; and    setting in the drive unit the discriminated identification code as the self-identification code,    wherein the radio unit transmits a control signal including any one of identification codes set to itself among a plurality of predetermined identification codes, receives control signals including the identification codes transmitted from the other radio units and decides a transmission timing of its own control signal; the drive unit determines, based on the identification code set to itself and the identification codes included in the control signals, whether remote control can be performed or not according to the control signal.