System and Method for a Motion Sensing Device

Abstract

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

1 . A device for signaling in response to a sensed motion, the device having a single enclosure, and in said single enclosure comprising:
 an accelerometer mechanically secured to said enclosure for sensing the device acceleration;   an annunciator mechanically secured to said enclosure for signaling to a person or an animal using visual or audible signaling;   a controller coupled between said accelerometer and said annunciator for activating or controlling said annunciator in response to the sensed device acceleration according to a predetermined logic; and   a power source connected to power said accelerometer, said annunciator and said controller.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the power source includes a battery, and wherein the battery is a primary type or a rechargeable type, and wherein the device further comprising a battery compartment mechanically secured to said enclosure for housing the battery. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said single enclosure includes a securely removable cover, so that said when the cover is removed the battery compartment can be accessed for replacing the battery. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 2  further comprising:
 a power connector installed on said single enclosure external surface and connectable to a power source; and 
 a battery charger coupled between said power connector and said battery for charging said battery from said power source. 
 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4  further operative for being powered from a domestic AC power outlet, the device further comprising an AC/DC adapter powered from said AC power outlet, the AC/DC adapter comprising a step-down transformer and an AC/DC converter for DC powering said battery charger, the AC/DC adapter coupled to said battery charger for charging said battery from said AC power. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 2  wherein said power source comprising a generator mounted on said single enclosure. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6  wherein the generator is operative to convert the device kinetic energy to an electrical energy. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7  wherein the generator comprises a coil and a magnetic field, and wherein relative movement of the coil and the magnetic field is generated in response to the device motion. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the power source includes a rechargeable battery, and wherein the device further comprises a battery charger connected for charging said rechargeable battery, and wherein the device is operative to contactless charging said rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9  wherein said contactless charging is based on induction, and wherein the device further includes an induction coil coupled to said battery charger for receiving AC power and charging said rechargeable battery when the device is put in an electromagnetic field. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer is at least one out of piezoelectric, piezoresistive, capacitive, MEMS and electromechanical switch accelerometer. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer is a single-axis, 2-axis or 3-axis accelerometer. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer is operative to measure the magnitude and the direction the device acceleration. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the annunciator comprising a smoke generator. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the annunciator comprising a visual signaling component. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 15  wherein the visual signaling component is a visible light emitter. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 16  wherein the visible light emitter is a semiconductor device, an incandescent lamp or fluorescent lamp. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 16  wherein the visible light emitter is adapted for a steady illumination and for blinking. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 16  wherein the visible light emitter is mounted for illuminating a part of an image or all of an image. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 16  wherein the illumination of the visible light emitter is associated with the device theme or the device shape. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 16  wherein the visible light emitter location, type, color or steadiness are associated with the device theme or the device shape. 
     
     
         22 . The device according to  claim 16  wherein the visible light emitter is a numerical or an alphanumerical display. 
     
     
         23 . The device according to  claim 22  wherein the visible light emitter is operative for displaying numbers, letters, symbols, words and characters, and is further operative for scrolling, static, bold and flashing the displayed data. 
     
     
         24 . The device according to  claim 22  wherein the visible light emitter is based on one out of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), TFT (Thin-Film Transistor), FED (Field Emission Display) or CRT (Cathode Ray Tube). 
     
     
         25 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein the annunciator comprising an audible signaling component. 
     
     
         26 . The device according to  claim 25  wherein the audible signaling component comprising electromechanical or piezoelectric sounder. 
     
     
         27 . The device according to  claim 26  wherein the audible signaling component comprising a buzzer, a chime or a ringer. 
     
     
         28 . The device according to  claim 25  wherein the audible signaling component comprising a loudspeaker and the device further comprising a digital to analog converter coupled to the loudspeaker. 
     
     
         29 . The device according to  claim 25  wherein the audible signaling component is operative to generate a single or multiple tones. 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 25  wherein the sound emitted from the audible signaling component is associated with the device theme or the device shape. 
     
     
         31 . The device according to  claim 30  wherein the volume, type, steadiness, pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre or texture of the sound emitted from the audible signaling component is associated with the device theme or the device shape. 
     
     
         32 . The device according to  claim 30  wherein the sound emitted from the audible signaling component is a song or a melody. 
     
     
         33 . The device according to  claim 32  wherein the song or melody name or content relates to the device theme of the device shape. 
     
     
         34 . The device according to  claim 25  wherein the sound emitted from the audible signaling component is a human voice talking. 
     
     
         35 . The device according to  claim 34  wherein the sound is a syllable, a word, a phrase, a sentence, a short story or a long story. 
     
     
         36 . The device according to  claim 35  wherein the sound is based on speech synthesis or is pre-recorded. 
     
     
         37 . The device according to  claim 1  wherein said controller comprising a firmware and a processor for executing instruction embedded in said firmware, said processor being coupled to control said annunciator in response to a motion sensed by said accelerometer. 
     
     
         38 . The device according to  claim 1  further comprising a random signal generator operative to output a random signal, said random signal generator being coupled to activate or control said annunciator. 
     
     
         39 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein said random signal generator is hardware only based. 
     
     
         40 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein said random signal generator is based on a physical process. 
     
     
         41 . The device according to  claim 40 , wherein the physical process is one of a thermal noise, a shot noise, decaying nuclear radiation, a photoelectric effect, and a quantum phenomenon. 
     
     
         42 . The device according to  claim 38 , wherein said random signal generator includes software and a processor executing said software. 
     
     
         43 . The device according to  claim 42 , wherein said software includes an algorithm for generating pseudo-random numbers. 
     
     
         44 . The device according to  claim 1  operative as a toy for the amusement of a person or a pet. 
     
     
         45 . The device according to  claim 44  operative for playing as a play ball, wherein the device is substantially sphere shaped. 
     
     
         46 . The device according to  claim 45  substantially shaped as one out of cricket, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, rugby, golf or volleyball play ball. 
     
     
         47 . The device according to  claim 1  operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the combination of the direction and the magnitude of the sensed acceleration. 
     
     
         48 . The device according to  claim 1  operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the direction of the sensed acceleration. 
     
     
         49 . The device according to  claim 1  operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the magnitude of the sensed acceleration. 
     
     
         50 . The device according to  claim 49  operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to a peak value of the magnitude of the sensed acceleration. 
     
     
         51 . The device according to  claim 49  further defining an acceleration threshold, the device operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the magnitude of the sensed acceleration exceeding said acceleration threshold. 
     
     
         52 . The device according to  claim 51  further defining multiple acceleration thresholds, the device operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the magnitude of the sensed acceleration exceeding one or more of said acceleration thresholds. 
     
     
         53 . The device according to  claim 51  further comprising a counter for counting events, the counter is coupled to count the times that the magnitude of the sensed acceleration exceeds said acceleration threshold. 
     
     
         54 . The device according to  claim 52  wherein the device is operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the counter value. 
     
     
         55 . The device according to  claim 54  wherein the annunciator includes a numerical display coupled to said counter for displaying a representation of the counter value. 
     
     
         56 . The device according to  claim 54  wherein the annunciator includes a loudspeaker coupled to said counter for saying a representation of the counter value. 
     
     
         57 . The device according to  claim 53  wherein the counter is one out of an electromechanical counter, mechanical counter, hardware counter or software-based counter. 
     
     
         58 . The device according to  claim 50  further comprising a peak-detector and a storage for detecting and storing a peak value of the sensed acceleration. 
     
     
         59 . The device according to  claim 58  wherein the device is operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the peak value. 
     
     
         60 . The device according to  claim 59  wherein the annunciator includes a numerical display coupled to said storage for displaying a representation of the peak value. 
     
     
         61 . The device according to  claim 59  wherein the annunciator includes a loudspeaker coupled to said storage for saying a representation the counter value. 
     
     
         62 . The device according to  claim 1  further shaped as a handheld unit. 
     
     
         63 . The device according to  claim 62  wherein said single enclosure includes two disks attached to both ends of a rod. 
     
     
         64 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said annunciator is operative to be in one out of a first and second states, and wherein the annunciator state is in response to an event defined by the sensed acceleration magnitude or direction exceeding a predefined value. 
     
     
         65 . The device according to  claim 64 , wherein said annunciator first state involves the annunciator activation and wherein the annunciator second state involves deactivation, the device further including a switch connected between said power supply and said annunciator, and wherein in said first state the switch connects power from the power supply to the annunciator, and in said second state the switch disconnects power from the power supply to the annunciator. 
     
     
         66 . The device according to  claim 64  further operative to shift the annunciator state from a first state to a second state in response to an event. 
     
     
         67 . The device according to  claim 66  further operative to shift the annunciator state from a first state to a second state for a predefined period in response to an event or to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         68 . The device according to  claim 64  further operative to shift the annunciator state from a first state to a second state in response to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         69 . The device according to  claim 64  further operative to toggle between the annunciator states in response to an event or to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         70 . The device according to  claim 64  further operative to continuously toggle said annunciator between said annunciator states, wherein the period in each state, the toggling frequency, the toggling period or the duty-cycle is affected as a response to an event or to the number of counted events. 
     
     
         71 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said annunciator is operative to be in one out of a multiple states, and wherein the annunciator state is in response to an event defined by the sensed acceleration magnitude or direction exceeding a predefined value. 
     
     
         72 . The device according to  claim 71 , wherein said annunciator include multiple components, and wherein said annunciator state is defined as activating or powering a selected one or more out of said components. 
     
     
         73 . The device according to  claim 71  further operative to shift the annunciator state from a first state to a second state in response to an event. 
     
     
         74 . The device according to  claim 73  further operative to shift the annunciator state from a first state to a second state for a predefined period in response to an event or to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         75 . The device according to  claim 71  further operative to shift the annunciator state from a first state to a second state in response to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         76 . The device according to  claim 71  further operative to toggle between the annunciator states in response to an event or to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         77 . The device according to  claim 76  further operative to continuously toggle said annunciator between said annunciator states, wherein the period in each state, the toggling frequency, the toggling period or the duty-cycle is affected as a response to an event or to the number of counted events. 
     
     
         78 . The device according to  claim 71  further operative to shift from a state to state according to a predictable or random order in response to an event or to a preset number of events. 
     
     
         79 . The device according to  claim 1  further operative to sense a tilt angle of the device. 
     
     
         80 . The device according to  claim 79  further operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the sensed tilt angle value. 
     
     
         81 . The device according to  claim 80  further operative to activate or control the annunciator as a response to the sensed tilt angle value and to the sensed acceleration magnitude in the tilt axis. 
     
     
         82 . The device according to  claim 81  further operative the annunciator where one parameter of the annunciator is activated or controlled in response to the sensed tilt angle value and another parameter of the annunciator is activated or controlled in response to the to the acceleration magnitude in the tilt axis. 
     
     
         83 . The device according to  claim 81  wherein the annunciator comprising an audible signaling component. 
     
     
         84 . The device according to  claim 83  wherein said sensed tilt angle value affects one or more of the volume, type, frequency, steadiness, pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre or texture of the sound emitted from the audible signaling component. 
     
     
         85 . The device according to  claim 84  wherein said sensed acceleration magnitude in the tilt axis affects one or more of the volume, type, frequency, steadiness, pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre or texture of the sound emitted from the audible signaling component. 
     
     
         86 . The device according to  claim 83  wherein the sound emitted is substantially the sound of a musical instrument. 
     
     
         87 . The device according to  claim 86  wherein the musical instrument is one out of drums, plano, tuba, harp, violin, flute and guitar.