Interactive toy system

• US 20030124954A1
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shu-Ming Liu
• Original Assignee: Shu-Ming Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Shu-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 6,800,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/484
• 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

An interactive toy has a microphone, a speaker, a memory for storing a toy identifier, and an interface to provide communications with a computer system. The computer system connects to a server on a network. The interactive toy provides electrical signals from the microphone, as well as the toy identifier, to the computer system via the interface. The interface enables the computer system to control the speaker to generate audible information according to data received from the server. Alternatively, a processor and memory with networking capabilities may be embedded within the toy to eliminate the need for a computer system.

Claims

1. An interactive toy comprising:

a microphone for converting acoustic energy into corresponding electrical signals;

a speaker for generating audible information;

a memory for storing a toy identifier; and

an interface adapted to provide communications with a computer system, the computer system capable of connecting to a server on a network;

wherein the interactive toy provides the electrical signals from the microphone and the toy identifier to the computer system via the interface, and the interface enables the computer system to control the speaker to generate the audible information according to audio data received from the server.

2. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the computer provides the toy identifier to the server, and the server provides the audio data according to the toy identifier.

3. The interactive toy of claim 2 wherein the computer is capable of performing a plurality of tasks according to the electrical signals from the microphone, and at least one of the tasks comprises downloading the audio data from the server.

4. The interactive toy of claim 2 wherein the memory further stores a unique identifier, and the interactive toy provides the unique identifier to the computer system.

5. The interactive toy of claim 3 wherein the network server provides the audio data according to both the toy identifier and the unique identifier.

6. The interactive toy of claim 1 further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD), the LCD capable of being controlled by the computer system via the interface.

7. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the audio data comprises verbal story data.

8. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the audio data comprises music data.

9. An interactive toy comprising:

a microphone for converting acoustic energy into corresponding electrical signals;

a speaker for generating audible information;

a networking interface for connecting to a network;

a memory comprising;

networking software for controlling the networking interface;

control software capable of executing a plurality of tasks according to a corresponding plurality of commands;

a toy identifier;

audio data; and

audio output software for generating the audio signals according to the audio data;

a processing system for executing the control software, the networking software, and audio output software; and

a speech recognition system for generating at least one of the commands according to the electrical signals from the microphone and providing the command to the control software;

wherein the commands include a download command, and in response to the download command received from the speech recognition system, the control software directs the networking software to interface with a network server over the network to obtain the audio data.

10. The interactive toy of claim 9 wherein when performing the download command, the networking software provides the network server with the toy identifier, and the network server provides the audio data according to the toy identifier.

11. The interactive toy of claim 10 wherein the memory further comprises a unique identifier, and the networking software provides the unique identifier to the network server.

12. The interactive toy of claim 11 wherein the network server provides the audio data according to both the toy identifier and the unique identifier.

13. The interactive toy of claim 9 further comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the control software controls the LCD according to the command received from the speech recognition system.

14. The interactive toy system of claim 9 wherein the audio data comprises verbal story data.

15. The interactive toy system of claim 9 wherein the audio data comprises music data.

16. An interactive toy system comprising:

a toy comprising;

a microphone for converting acoustic energy into corresponding electrical signals;

a speaker for generating audible information; and

a first memory for storing a toy identifier;

a processing system comprising;

a networking interface for connecting to a network;

an audio interface for accepting the electrical signals from the microphone, and for providing audio signals to the speaker to generate the audible information; and

a second memory comprising;

networking software for controlling the networking interface;

control software capable of executing a plurality of tasks according to a corresponding plurality of commands;

audio data; and

audio output software for generating the audio signals according to the audio data; and

a speech recognition system for generating at least one of the commands according to the electrical signals from the microphone and providing the command to the control software; and

a network server connected to the network for providing data to the processing system;

wherein the commands include a download command, and in response to the download command received from the speech recognition system, the control software directs the networking software to interface with the network server to obtain the audio data.

17. The interactive toy system of claim 16 wherein when performing the download command, the networking software provides the network server with the toy identifier, and the network server provides the audio data according to the toy identifier.

18. The interactive toy system of claim 17 wherein the first memory further stores a unique identifier, and the networking software provides the unique identifier to the network server.

19. The interactive toy system of claim 18 wherein the network server provides the audio data according to both the toy identifier and the unique identifier.

20. The interactive toy system of claim 16 wherein the processing system is disposed within the toy.

21. The interactive toy system of claim 16 wherein the toy further comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the control software controls the LCD according to the command received from the speech recognition system.

22. The interactive toy system of claim 16 wherein the audio data comprises verbal story data.

23. The interactive toy system of claim 16 wherein the audio data comprises music data.