Stephen M Weiss

US Patent:

6688985, Feb 10, 2004

Filed:

Jan 31, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/062065

Inventors:

Stephen N. Weiss - Philadelphia PA
Gerhart P. Huy - Hamilton Square NJ
Dean C. Reisher - Brick NJ
Joseph T. Moll - Prospect Park PA
Gregory R. Nungester - Berwyn PA
Frank W. Winkler - Mickleton NJ
Justin M. Discoe - Merchantville NJ

Assignee:

Mattel, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

A63F 914

US Classification:

463 58, 463 1, 463 59, 463 60, 273 86 R

Abstract:

A system for racing an electrically powered toy vehicle over a defined course under operator control comprises a continuous track having at least one lane with a pit stop segment and an electrical path extending along the lane for providing electrical power to the vehicle. A control unit is operably connected to the electrical path. The control unit has first one control mechanism that can be manipulated by an operator to vary a speed of the electrical vehicle and another to perform at least one pit stop function such as a tire change or a vehicle refueling. A display is operably connected to the control unit for visually displaying a progression of the pit stop function in response to manipulation of the other control mechanism.

US Patent:

6848968, Feb 1, 2005

Filed:

Jan 14, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/046374

Inventors:

Stephen Nicholas Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US
Charles Stewart McCall - San Francisco CA, US
Wallace White - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Mattel, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

A63F 3004
G08C 1916

US Classification:

446454, 34082569

Abstract:

A communication scheme is employed for transmitting control signals from a remote control to a toy vehicle. The remote control includes control switches, an encoder and a transmitter and the toy vehicle includes a receiver, a decoder and actuators for controlling the operation of the toy vehicle in accordance with received control signals. The encoder generates a continuous stream of control signal packets with each of the packets including a predetermined number of biphase encoded bits. Each biphase encoded bit is of the same predetermined width with a 50% duty cycle, including two transmit elements. For one binary state, both of the transmit elements are the same and for the other binary state both of the transmit elements are opposite. Each packet includes a first predetermined number of flag bits, a second predetermined number of data bits and at least one checksum bit.

US Patent:

6947714, Sep 20, 2005

Filed:

Aug 26, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/648669

Inventors:

Stephen Nicholas Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US
Gregory M. Huffman - Petaluma CA, US
Jesse Dorogusker - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Mattel, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

H01Q011/12

US Classification:

4551271, 455 903, 4553431, 4555781, 550339, 341 22

Abstract:

An identification transmission system for use in an amusement device includes a transmitting antenna, a transmitter and a piezo-electric power source. The transmitter circuit is configured to broadcast a predetermined tone on a predetermined carrier frequency through the antenna. The piezo-electric power source is electrically coupled to the transmitter circuit and is configured to at least briefly provide power to the transmitter circuit. The piezo-electro power source includes a piezo-electric element, a striker, a storage capacitor and a voltage controlled switch. The striker is configured to move so as to at least briefly strike the piezo-electric element. The storage capacitor is configured to receive and store electrical charge from the piezo-electric element. The voltage controlled switch is configured to allow the storage capacitor to discharge through the transmitter circuit thereby providing power thereto after a predetermined amount of charge has been stored.

US Patent:

7234992, Jun 26, 2007

Filed:

Oct 30, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/699453

Inventors:

Stephen N. Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US
Eric D. Listenberger - Moorestown NJ, US
Joseph T. Moll - Prospect Park PA, US

Assignee:

Mattel, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

A63H 30/04
A63H 30/00

US Classification:

446454, 446485, 446456, 446465

Abstract:

A toy vehicle including at least an on-board power supply, a plurality of wheels supporting the vehicle for itinerant movement, at least one motor operably coupled to at least one of the wheels to provide at least part of an itinerant movement, at least one light and a controller circuit configured to selectively supply power from the power supply to the motor(s) in response to commands from a transmitter remote from the toy vehicle and to selectively supply power to the at least one light in response to a signal indicating the vehicle is performing a particular maneuver, for example, either a special stunt or a transformation or both.

US Patent:

7758399, Jul 20, 2010

Filed:

May 2, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/120214

Inventors:

Stephen Nicholas Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US
LaVonne Erick Strand - Folcroft PA, US
Joseph T. Moll - Redondo Beach CA, US
Vikas Kumar Parkhie Sinha - Philadelphia PA, US
Justin Discoe - Windsor CO, US
David Vincent Helmlinger - Mt. Laurel NJ, US
Gregory Nungester - Titusville NJ, US
Frank William Winkler - Mickleton NJ, US
Charles Stewart McCall - San Francisco CA, US
Jesse Dorogusker - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Mattel, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

A63H 3/00
G06K 7/10

US Classification:

446175, 446454, 446465, 23546203

Abstract:

A vehicle toy combination includes a wireless controlled toy vehicle having a mobile platform configured to move over a surface. A central controller on the platform is configured to control at least one aspect of the toy vehicle. A hand-held manually actuable wireless controller is configured to remotely control user selected movement of the toy vehicle. An optical receiver is attached to the platform to look downward on the surface and is coupled to the central controller. The receiver is configured to read a predetermined reflective pattern located on the surface over which the toy vehicle moves. Multiple vehicles can be controlled simultaneously with multiple wireless, manually operated controllers operating at the same frequency by initially synchronizing the controllers to transmit in non-overlapping windows.

US Patent:

7905761, Mar 15, 2011

Filed:

Jul 2, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/217159

Inventors:

Stephen Nicholas Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US
LaVonne Erick Strand - Folcroft PA, US
Joseph T. Moll - Mount Laurel NJ, US
Vikas Kumar Sinha - Philadelphia PA, US
Justin Discoe - Fort Collins CO, US
David Vincent Helmlinger - Mount Laurel NJ, US
Gregory Nungester - Titusville NJ, US
Frank William Winkler - Mickleton NJ, US
Charles Stewart McCall - San Francisco CA, US
Jesse Dorogusker - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Mattel, Inc. - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

A63H 30/04
A63H 29/22

US Classification:

446454, 446473, 446484, 463 52

Abstract:

A vehicle toy combination includes a wireless controlled toy vehicle having a mobile platform configured to move over a surface. A central controller on the platform is configured to control at least one aspect of the toy vehicle. A hand-held manually actuable wireless controller is configured to remotely control user selected movement of the toy vehicle. Multiple vehicles can be controlled simultaneously with multiple wireless, manually operated controllers operating at the same frequency by initially synchronizing the controllers to transmit in non-overlapping windows.

US Patent:

7266919, Sep 11, 2007

Filed:

Feb 24, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/785258

Inventors:

David Vincent Helmlinger - Mt. Laurel NJ, US
Stephen Nicholas Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US
Randy Cheng-Shin Chen - Marlton NJ, US

Assignee:

Parallel Products, LLC - Mount Laurel NJ

International Classification:

G09F 3/18

US Classification:

4066102, 40717

Abstract:

A motion-detecting note holder is disclosed. Such a note holder includes a note retention member, a motion sensor, a note-waiting indicator, and a controller in communication with the motion sensor and the note-waiting indicator. The controller, upon receiving a motion-detection signal from the motion sensor, causes the note-waiting indicator to provide a human-perceptible indication that a note is in the note retention member.

US Patent:

20030114075, Jun 19, 2003

Filed:

Oct 30, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/284046

Inventors:

Joseph Moll - Prospect Park PA, US
James Dickinson - Haddon Township NJ, US
Frank Winkler - Mickleton NJ, US
David Helmlinger - Mt. Laurel NJ, US
Charles McCall - San Francisco CA, US
Stephen Weiss - Philadelphia PA, US

International Classification:

A63H030/04

US Classification:

446/456000

Abstract:

A toy vehicle remote control transmitter unit wirelessly controls the movements of a programmable toy vehicle. The toy vehicle includes a motive chassis having a plurality of steering positions. A microprocessor in the transmitter unit emulates manual transmission operation of the toy vehicle by being in any one of a plurality of different gear states selected by an operation of manual input elements on the transmitter unit. Forward propulsion control signals representing different toy vehicle speed ratios associated with each of the gear states are transmitted from the transmitter unit to the toy vehicle. The motive chassis has a steering feedback sensor with a plurality of defined steering positions to vary rate of steering position change to avoid overshoot.