Interacting toys

• US 20020000062A1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yury V. Vladagin
• Original Assignee: Yury V. Vladagin
• Inventors: Smirnov, Alexander V.
• Granted Patent: US 6,551,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/397
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds

Abstract

Each of interacting toys comprises a housing defining its form and outward appearance, means for transmitting messages with information about the first toy, means for receiving messages transmitted by the other toy with information about the second toy, means for reproducing reaction of the first toy to the second toy and to the user interaction, storage means containing data about reactions of the first toy to various other toys and to various user actions.

Each of interacting toys periodically sends messages about itself to another toy and receives messages from it. If the first toy detects the presence of the second toy, it reacts to this fact for example by making a sound characterizing the reaction of the first toy to the second toy. Type of reaction and its intensity level depend on the information received from the second toy. The seconds toy operates in the same way. Thus, the imitation of various relationships between toys and the variety of toys'"'"' behavior is provided.

Claims

1. Interacting toys consisting of at least a first toy and a second toy, each of which comprises a housing defining the shape and appearance of the toys;

wherein at least said second toy comprises transmitting means disposed in said housing and capable of transmitting at least one message including information about said second toy; and

wherein at least said first toy comprises disposed in said housing;

reproducing means for reproducing of responses of said first toy;

storage means for storing data providing reproduction of responses of said first toy;

messages receiving means capable of receiving said at least one message; and

control means connected with said reproducing means, with said storage means and with said receiving means, and thereby capable to select said information about said second toy from said at least one message, and in accordance with said information about said second toy to read from said storage means first data that provides reproducing of at least one response, and to transmit said first data to said reproducing means for reproducing of said at least one response.

2. Interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said at least one response corresponds to a type and an intensity level of a first emotional condition of the character, represented by said first toy, and wherein said first emotional condition is generated by meeting of the character represented by said second toy.

3. Interacting toys of claim 2, wherein said control means are capable after termination of receiving of messages transmitted by said second toy, at least once to read from said storage means second data that provides reproducing of at least one after-response, and to transmit said second data to said reproducing means for reproducing of said at least one after-response.

4. Interacting toys of claim 3, wherein said at least one after-response corresponds to a type and an intensity level of a second emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy, and wherein said second emotional condition has the same type as said first emotional condition and has lower intensity level than said first emotional condition.

5. Interacting toys of claim 1,

wherein at least said first toy further comprises at least one sensor capable of responding to external actions different from message transmission by at least said second toy;

wherein said storage means further contain data providing reproduction of responses to external actions; and

wherein said control means are connected with said at least one sensor, and are capable in reply to a signal from said at least one sensor of reading from said storage means third data that provides reproducing of at least one response to an external action, and of transmitting said third data to said reproducing means for reproducing of said at least one response to an external action.

6. Interacting toys of claim 5, wherein said at least one response to an external action corresponds to a type and an intensity level of a third emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy, and wherein said third emotional condition is generated by said external action.

7. Interacting toys of claim 6, wherein said control means are capable after termination of said external action, at least once to read from said storage means forth data that provides reproducing of at least one after-response, and to transmit said forth data to said reproducing means for reproducing said at least one after-response.

8. Interacting toys of claim 7, wherein said at least one after-response corresponds to a type and an intensity level of a forth emotional condition of the character, represented by said first toy, and wherein said forth emotional condition has the same type as said third emotional condition and has lower intensity level than said third emotional condition.

9. Interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means include means of transmission of an optical signal, and wherein said receiving means include means of reception of an optical signal.

10. Interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means include a radio-transmitter;

and wherein said receiving means include a radio receiver.

11. Interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said reproducing means include sound reproducing means.

12. Interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said information about said second toy contains at least

an identifier uniquely defining the character represented by said second toy, or

data describing appearance of said second toy, or

data describing an emotional condition of the character represented by said second toy.

13. Interacting toys of claim 5, wherein said at least one sensor is a touch sensor.

14. Interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means are capable of repeating of message transmission with a predetermined time interval.

15. A system of interacting toys consisting of at least two toys, each of which comprises a housing defining its shape and appearance, and disposed in said housing:

reproducing means for reproducing of responses of the toy;

storage means for storage of data that provides reproducing of responses;

transmitting means for transmitting of at least one first message, which includes first information about said toy and which can be received by at least one other toy from said system of interacting toys;

receiving means for receiving of at least one second message, which is transmitted by another toy from said system of interacting toys and which includes the second information about said other toy from said system of interacting toys;

control means connected with said reproducing means, with said storage means and with said receiving means, and capable according to said second information of reading from said storage means data about at least one response, and to transmit said data about said at least one response to said reproducing means for reproducing said at least one response.

16. A method of interaction between toys comprising:

providing of at least a first toy and a second toy, wherein at least said second toy comprises message transmitting means, and wherein at least said first toy comprises message receiving means, responses reproducing means, and storage means containing data about responses of said first toy;

transmitting by said second toy of at least one message containing information about said second toy;

receiving of said at least one message by said first toy;

selecting of said information about said second toy from said at least one message;

selecting in said storage means data about at least one response according to predetermined properties of said first toy and to said information about said second toy;

reproducing of said at least one response by said reproducing means of said first toy.

17. A method of interaction between toys of claim 16, wherein said information about said second toy contains at least

an identifier uniquely defining the character represented by said second toy, or

data describing appearance of said second toy, or

data describing an emotional condition of the character represented by said second toy.

18. A method of interaction between toys of claim 16, wherein said predetermined properties of said first toy characterize individuality of the character represented by said first toy.

19. A method of interaction between toys of claim 16, wherein said reproducing of said at least one response comprises imitating of an emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy.