System and Method for a Motion Sensing Device
A 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 method for use with a device comprising:
producing, by a two-axis accelerometer an output signal responsive to sensed acceleration;
affecting, by an electric motor, a physical movement;
executing, by a processor, a software;
powering, by a rechargeable battery, the accelerometer, the electric motor, and the processor;
contactless charging, a battery charger, the rechargeable battery; and
activating or controlling, using an electrically controlled switch controlled by the processor, the electric motor in response to the output signal, by switching DC power from the rechargeable battery to the electric motor,
wherein the device comprises a single enclosure that houses the accelerometer, the electric motor, the processor, the battery charger, and the electrically controlled switch.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the battery charger comprises, or consists of, an induction coil for inductively receiving AC power when in an electromagnetic field, wherein the contactless charging is induction-based, and wherein the contactless charging comprises charging the rechargeable battery from the received AC power.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the physical movement is associated with the device image, theme, or shape.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a battery compartment that is mechanically secured to the single enclosure for housing the rechargeable battery.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the single enclosure further comprises a securely removable cover for covering the battery compartment, so that when the cover is removed the battery compartment is accessible for replacing the rechargeable battery.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on, a piezoelectric, piezoresistive, capacitive, Micro-mechanical Electrical Systems (MEMS), or electromechanical accelerometer.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer produces the output signal in response to an absolute acceleration or to a relative-to-freefall acceleration of the enclosure.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the output signal is responsive to a magnitude or a direction of the device acceleration, and wherein the accelerometer is a three-axis accelerometer.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sensing or measuring mechanical orientation, vibration, shock, or falling of the device, based on, or using, the output signal.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the accelerometer comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on, a piezoelectric accelerometer that utilizes a piezoelectric effect and comprises, consists of, uses, or is based on, piezoceramics or a single crystal or quartz.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising emitting, by a visible light emitter powered from the rechargeable battery and controlled by the processor, a visible light signaling a first status to a person, wherein the visible light emitter consists of, comprises, is based on, or uses, a semiconductor component, an incandescent lamp, or fluorescent lamp.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the semiconductor component consists of, or comprises, a single-color Light Emitting Diode (LED) or a multi-color LED.
13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the emitting comprises illuminating in multiple colors, and wherein the first status is indicated by changing between colors.
14 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising emitting, by an additional visible light emitter attached to the single enclosure and coupled to the processor, a visible light indicating a second status to the person.
15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first status is indicated by steadiness, blinking, intensity level, duty-cycle, or flashing, of an illumination of the visible light emitter.
16 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising displaying, by a numerical display, one or more digits representing a number.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the numerical display comprises, consists of, or uses, seven-segments display.
18 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the emitting comprises displaying characters, numbers, letters, or symbols.
19 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the emitting comprises displaying, by a digital display, graphical or text information.
20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the digital display is based on, comprises, or uses, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Thin-Film Transistor (TFT), or a Field Emission Display (FED) display.
21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the digital display is coupled to the processor using an interface that is according to, or based on, IEEE 1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Serial Digital Interface (SDI), FireWire™, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Unified Display Interface (UDI), or DisplayPort standard.
22 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the visible light emitter consists of, or comprises a DLP display or a video projector.
23 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single enclosure is portable.
24 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a media player, a cellular telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a digital camera, a video recorder, or any combination thereof.
25 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, by a random number generator, a random number and wherein the activating or controlling the electric motor is in response to the random number.
26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the generating is based on a physical process.
27 . The method according to claim 26 , wherein the physical process is one of a thermal noise, a shot noise, decaying nuclear radiation, a photoelectric effect, and a quantum phenomenon.
28 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the generating comprises executing a pseudo-random number generator software.
29 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the random numbers generated by the random number generator are substantially uniformly or Gaussianly distributed.
30 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising measuring, by a timer, a time interval, wherein the activating or controlling is in response to a measured time interval between two events of sensed accelerations being above an acceleration threshold.
31 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled switch is based on, comprises, or using, an electromechanical relay, a solid-state relay, or an optocouplers.
32 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single enclosure is configured, dimensioned, formed, or structured as a toy.
33 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single enclosure is dimensioned and shaped as a handheld unit.
34 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the single enclosure comprises, or shaped as, two substantially circular plates attached to both ends of a rod.
35 . The method according to claim 1 , further for amusement or playing as a play ball, wherein the single enclosure is sphere shaped.
36 . The method according to claim 35 , wherein the single enclosure is ball-shaped.
37 . The method according to claim 36 , wherein the single enclosure is dimensioned, shaped, and structured as cricket, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, rugby, golf, or volleyball play ball.
38 . The method according to claim 36 , wherein the single enclosure is cylinder, half-sphere, prolate-spheroid, football, or ovoid shaped.
39 . The method according to claim 36 , wherein the single enclosure is configured for dribbling, kicking, catching, or throwing by a single player or multiple players, and wherein the accelerometer is configured for respectively sensing the dribbling, kicking, catching, or throwing action.
40 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single enclose is substantially cylinder, cone, pyramid, or torus shaped.
41 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single enclosure is substantially box-shaped having a rectangular, square, elongated, or oval, horizontal or vertical cross-section.
42 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting, by a sensor coupled to the processor, an output responsive to a physical phenomenon, and wherein the activating or the controlling of the electric motor is in response to the sensor output.
43 . The method according to claim 42 , wherein the sensor is an electric sensor that responds to an electrical characteristics or electrical phenomenon quantity in an electrical circuit.
44 . The method according to claim 43 , wherein the electric sensor consists of, comprises, or is based on, a voltage or current sensor.
45 . The method according to claim 42 , wherein the sensor is a light sensor.
46 . The method according to claim 45 , wherein the light sensor consists of, comprises, or is based on, a photocell.
47 . The method according to claim 42 , wherein the sensor is a force sensor.
48 . The method according to claim 47 , wherein the force sensor consists of, comprises, or is based on, a pressure sensor.
49 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sensing or measuring, a tilt angle based on the output signal.
50 . The method according to claim 49 , wherein the activating or controlling is in response to the tilt angle.
51 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising counting, by a counter coupled to the accelerometer, a number of events based on the output signal.
52 . The method according to claim 51 , wherein events are occurrences when the magnitude of the output signal cross an acceleration threshold.
53 . The method according to claim 51 , wherein the activating or controlling is in response to a counted number.
54 . The method according to claim 51 , wherein the counter is an electromechanical counter or a mechanical counter.
55 . The method according to claim 51 , wherein the counter is software-based counter included in the software.
56 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising detecting and storing, respectively by a peak-detector and a storage, a peak value of the sensed acceleration.
57 . The method according to claim 56 , wherein the activating or controlling is in response to the peak value.