Toy vehicle accessory and related system
An improved toy system is disclosed herein. In one aspect, the toy system includes a toy vehicle that can be uniquely identified. The toy vehicle includes a wireless tag that contains identifying information that is unique to the toy vehicle. In another aspect, the system includes a toy vehicle reader that can identify a toy vehicle that is proximate to the reader. The toy vehicle reader can wirelessly communicate with the tag, and in particular with a chip on the tag, on the proximate toy vehicle. In one embodiment, the toy vehicle reader utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to read the tags on vehicles.
1. A toy system, comprising:
a toy vehicle including a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag with a unique identification associated with the toy vehicle; and
a toy vehicle accessory having an electronic system comprising an NFC reader that is used to communicate with the NFC tag of the toy vehicle to determine the unique identification, the electronic system including a wireless communication component configured to communicate the unique identification to a mobile device that is usable independently from the toy vehicle accessory, the toy vehicle accessory having a housing and a movable portion removably coupleable to the housing, the movable portion including the NFC reader.
2. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the movable portion includes the wireless communication component.
3. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the NFC tag is embedded within a chassis of the toy vehicle.
4. The toy system of claim 3 , wherein the NFC tag comprises:
a flexible substrate; and
a chip and an antenna that are coupled to the flexible substrate, the antenna being wound into a particular pattern along the flexible substrate.
5. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the toy vehicle accessory further comprises:
an infrared (IR) sensor system configured to determine a speed of the toy vehicle when the toy vehicle passes the toy vehicle accessory.
6. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the toy vehicle accessory further comprises:
an output system configured to output at least one of visual outputs or audible outputs in response to a determination of the unique identification of the toy vehicle.
7. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the toy vehicle accessory further comprises:
a holding portion that can move between a closed position and an open position to support the mobile device adjacent the movable portion.
8. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the toy vehicle accessory further comprises:
a track portion that includes a bottom along which the toy vehicle can travel, the bottom being bounded by opposing sidewalls.
9. The toy system of claim 8 , wherein the movable portion defines a central section of the track portion and the housing defines portions of the track portion extending from either side of the central section.
10. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first side portion and a second side portion; and
a connecting portion disposed between the first side portion and the second side portion, the movable portion being removably coupleable to the connecting portion.
11. The toy system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is configured to execute a digital platform configured to:
generate a digital representation of the toy vehicle based on the unique identification communicated to the mobile device by the wireless communication component; and
display the digital representation in a graphical user interface that allows a user to interact with the digital representation.
12. The toy system of claim 11 , wherein the graphical user interface is customized based on the unique identification.
13. The toy system of claim 11 , wherein the digital platform is further configured to:
generate a set of attributes for the digital representation of the toy vehicle based on the unique identification;
adjust the set of attributes based on at least one of user inputs or digital accessories added to the digital representation; and
associate an adjusted set of attributes with the digital representation for any future play.
14. A toy system, comprising:
a toy including a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag with a unique identification associated with the toy; and
a toy accessory having an electronic system comprising an NFC reader that is used to communicate with the NFC tag of the toy to determine the unique identification, the electronic system including a wireless communication component configured to communicate the unique identification to a mobile device that is usable independently from the toy accessory, the toy accessory having a housing and a movable portion removably coupleable to the housing, the movable portion including the NFC reader.
15. The toy system of claim 14 , wherein the toy accessory further comprises:
a holding portion that can move between a closed position and an open position to support the mobile device adjacent the movable portion.
16. The toy system of claim 14 , wherein the mobile device is configured to execute a digital platform configured to:
generate a digital representation of the toy based on the unique identification communicated to the mobile device by the wireless communication component; and
display the digital representation in a graphical user interface that allows a user to interact with the digital representation, the graphical user interface being customized based on the unique identification.
17. The toy system of claim 14 , wherein the movable portion includes the wireless communication component.
18. A toy system, comprising:
a toy including a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag with a unique identification associated with the toy; and
a toy accessory comprising:
an electronic system including an NFC reader that is used to communicate with the NFC tag of the toy to determine the unique identification, and a communication component configured to communicate the unique identification to a mobile device; and
a holding portion that can move between a closed position and an open position to support the mobile device.
19. The toy system of claim 18 , wherein the mobile device is configured to execute a digital platform configured to:
generate a digital representation of the toy based on the unique identification communicated to the mobile device by the communication component; and
display the digital representation in a graphical user interface that allows a user to interact with the digital representation, the graphical user interface being customized based on the unique identification.
20. The toy system of claim 18 , wherein the toy accessory further comprises:
a housing; and
a movable portion removably coupleable to the housing, the movable portion including the NFC reader.