Modular toy construction system

Abstract

A toy construction element for a modular toy construction system. The toy construction element has a housing. Accommodated within the housing is a processing unit, one or more inductive elements, at least one communications circuit coupled to the one or more inductive elements and configured for contactless near-field communication and for contactless energy transfer via the one or more inductive elements, and a rechargeable battery operable to be charged via the contactless energy transfer via the one or more inductive elements. The toy construction element is further configured to read data from an RFID tag of the modular toy construction system by means of at least one of the inductive elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A toy construction element for a modular toy construction system, wherein the toy construction element comprises a housing and, accommodated within the housing:
 a processing unit,   one or more inductive elements,   at least one communications circuit coupled to the one or more inductive elements and configured for contactless near-field communication and for contactless energy transfer via the one or more inductive elements, and   a rechargeable battery operable to be charged via the contactless energy transfer via the one or more inductive elements,   wherein the toy construction element is further configured to read data from an RFID tag of the modular toy construction system by means of at least one of the inductive elements.   
     
     
         2 . The toy construction element according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface, and wherein the one or more inductive elements comprise a first coil proximal to the top surface and a second coil proximal to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         3 . The toy construction element according to  claim 1 , wherein the toy construction element comprises an antenna for short-range communication with other toy construction elements of the modular toy construction system. 
     
     
         4 . The toy construction element according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises coupling members for interconnecting the toy construction element to one or more other toy construction elements of the modular toy construction system. 
     
     
         5 . The toy construction element according to  claim 1 , wherein the toy construction element is configured to generate control signals for controlling a user-perceivable function of one or more other interactive toy construction elements. 
     
     
         6 . A modular toy construction system comprising a control construction element and an RFID tag, wherein the control construction element comprises a housing and, accommodated within the housing:
 a processing unit,   one or more inductive elements,   at least one communications circuit coupled to the one or more inductive elements and configured for contactless communication and for contactless energy transfer via the one or more inductive elements, and   a rechargeable battery operable to be charged via the contactless energy transfer via the one or more inductive elements,   wherein the control construction element is further configured to read data from the RFID tag by means of at least one of the inductive elements.   
     
     
         7 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 6 , wherein the housing comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface, and wherein the one or more inductive elements comprise a first coil proximal to the top surface and a second coil proximal to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         8 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 6 , wherein the housing comprises coupling members for interconnecting the control construction element to one or more other toy construction elements of the modular toy construction system. 
     
     
         9 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 6 , further comprising an additional electronic toy, the additional electronic toy comprising a rechargeable energy storage device, a processing unit and a communications circuit operable for short-range wireless communications with the control toy construction element. 
     
     
         10 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 9 , wherein the control toy construction element comprises an antenna for short-range communication with the additional electronic toy. 
     
     
         11 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 9 , wherein the additional electronic toy further comprises one or more function devices, and wherein the processing unit of the additional electronic toy is configured to control the function device. 
     
     
         12 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 11 , wherein the additional electronic toy further comprises one or more sensors, and wherein the processing unit of the additional electronic toy is configured to control the one or more function devices responsive to a sensed quantity. 
     
     
         13 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one sensor selected from the group of sensors consisting of: an encoder, a light sensor, a sound sensor, an accelerometer. 
     
     
         14 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 11 , wherein the processing unit of the additional electronic toy is configured to control the one or more function devices responsive to received information. 
     
     
         15 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 11 , wherein the one or more function devices include a motor and/or a light source and/or a sound source. 
     
     
         16 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 9 , wherein the control toy construction element is operable to determine a distance to one or more other control toy construction elements of the modular toy construction system and/or to the additional electronic toy. 
     
     
         17 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 9 , wherein the additional electronic toy is operable to determine a distance to the control toy construction element and/or to one or more further electronic toys. 
     
     
         18 . The modular toy construction system according to  claim 17 , wherein the processing unit of the additional electronic toy is configured to control the communications circuits of the additional electronic toy and to process data received from the control toy construction element and/or from the one or more further electronic toys which the additional electronic toy is communicatively coupled via the wireless communications circuit of the additional electronic toy, and wherein the processing unit is configured to base said data processing on the determined distance. 
     
     
         19 . A modular toy construction system comprising:
 a toy construction element having a housing;   a first inductive element arranged within the housing, proximal to a face of the housing;   a second inductive element arranged within the housing, proximal to an opposite face of the toy construction element, each of the first and second inductive elements configured for inductive coupling with a second toy construction element;   a communications circuit arranged within the housing;   a processing unit arranged within the housing and in electrical communication with the communications circuit; and   an RFID tag including a memory having stored thereon program data,   wherein:   the first or second inductive element is configured to energize the RFID tag, the RFID tag thereafter configured to modulate an RFID signal based on the program data,   the communications circuit is configured to receive the modulated RFID signal and transmit the modulated RFID signal to the processing unit, and   the processing unit is configured to decode the modulated RFID signal and process the program data.   
     
     
         20 . The modular toy construction system of  claim 19 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
 transmit the decoded program data to the second toy construction element via the inductive coupling or communications circuit, and/or   generate control signals for controlling a user-perceivable function of an interactive toy construction element of the modular toy construction system.