Interactive toy

• US 20030139113A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wood, Michael C., Cordova, Jim, Campisano, Kathleen, Hendrickson, Craig R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,347,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/00 Model railways propulsion by special interaction between vehicle and track A63H18/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/38 Picture books with additional toy effects, e.g. pop-up or slide displays picture books B42D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to interactive toys. In one embodiment, the interactive toy includes a housing, and a receiving region on the housing. A detection device including a plurality of detectors is in the receiving region. A processor operatively coupled to the detection device. A solid object is received in the receiving region. The toy could be a toy electronic train, or an interactive book.

Claims

1. An interactive toy comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a receiving region on the housing;

(c) a detection device including a plurality of detectors in the receiving region;

(d) a processor operatively coupled to the detection device;

(e) a solid object that is capable of being received in the receiving region, the solid object including a first face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a first structural pattern, and a second face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a second structural pattern, the first structural pattern being different than the second structural pattern,

wherein a different number or combination of detectors in the plurality of detectors is activated when the first structural pattern interfaces with the detection device than when the second structural pattern interfaces with the detection device.

2. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the solid object is a block.

3. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the housing forms part of an interactive book.

4. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the housing forms part of a toy train.

5. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the first structural pattern is at a first border region of the first face and the second structural pattern is at a second border region of the second face.

6. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the solid object is a block and wherein the first face and the second face are at opposite sides of the block.

7. The interactive toy of claim 6 wherein the first face has a first image and the second face has a second image, wherein the first structural pattern is encoded to provide an output corresponding to the second image, and wherein the second structural pattern is encoded to provide an output corresponding to the first image.

8. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the solid object is a block and wherein the first and second faces are adjacent to each other.

9. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the solid object is free of electronics or metal.

10. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the plurality of detectors comprise a plurality of pressure switches.

11. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the first face is defined by four edges and has four side border regions, and wherein the first structural pattern is at each of the four side border regions of the first face.

12. The interactive toy of claim 11 wherein the second face is defined by four edges and has four side border regions, and wherein the second structural pattern is at each of the four side border regions of the second face.

13. The interactive toy of claim 11

wherein the receiving region is defined by a well formed in the housing,

wherein the first face is defined by four edges and has four side border regions, and wherein the first structural pattern is at each of the four side border regions of the first face,

wherein the well has four side surfaces and a bottom surface, and is cooperatively structured to receive the solid object, and

wherein the detection device is positioned to interact with only one of the four first structural patterns at a time, but is capable of interacting with any of the four first structural patterns by changing an orientation of the solid object within the well.

14. The interactive toy of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a plurality of the receiving regions, and wherein the interactive toy includes a plurality of the solid objects.

15. The interactive toy of claim 11 wherein the interactive toy is an educational toy and is adapted to teach a child at least one of reading, phonics, letters, shapes, colors, and numbers.

16. The interactive toy of claim 11

wherein the receiving region is defined by a well, and

wherein the housing is in the form of an interactive book with a plurality of pages, the plurality of pages having a plurality of aligned apertures, wherein the plurality of aligned apertures are aligned with the well, and

wherein the solid object is disposed in the well and the aligned apertures.

17. The interactive toy of claim 16 wherein the interactive toy is an educational toy and is adapted to teach a child at least one of reading, phonics, letters, shapes, colors, and numbers.

18. The interactive toy of claim 1 further comprising an output device operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the output device comprises a speaker.

19. An interactive toy comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a receiving region on the housing;

(c) a detection device including a plurality of pressure switches in the receiving region;

(d) a processor operatively coupled to the detection device;

(e) an output device operatively coupled to the processor;

(f) a metal-free solid object in the form of a block to be received in the receiving region, wherein the solid object includes (i) a first face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a first structural pattern at a border region and a first image at a center region, and (ii) a second face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a second structural pattern at a border region and a second image at a center region, the first structural pattern being different than the second structural pattern,

wherein a different number or combination of detectors in the plurality of detectors is activated when the structural pattern interfaces with the detection device than when the second structural pattern interfaces with the detection device.

20. The interactive toy of claim 19 wherein the housing is in the form of a book page or a book cover.

21. The interactive toy of claim 19 wherein the output device includes a speaker.

22. The interactive toy of claim 19 wherein the output device comprises a speaker or a display device.

23. The interactive toy of claim 19 wherein the first image and the second image comprise images of at least one of letters, animals, numbers, and objects.

24. The interactive toy of claim 19 wherein the solid object has six faces, each face having four structural patterns, each structural pattern on each face being at a side border region, and each face having an image at a center region of the face.

25. The interactive toy of claim 19 wherein the first and second faces are at opposite sides of the solid object, and wherein when the first structural pattern interfaces with the detection device, an output relating to the second image is produced by the output device.

26. The interactive toy of claim 25 wherein the output is a sound relating to the second image and wherein the output device is a speaker.

27. The interactive toy of claim 25 wherein the housing is in the form of a train engine or a train car.

28. An interactive book comprising:

(a) a housing in the form of a cover or page of the interactive book;

(b) a plurality of pages;

(c) a set of switches associated with the plurality of pages;

(d) a processor in the housing;

(e) a receiving region on the housing;

(f) a detection device in the receiving region;

(g) a solid object to be received in the receiving region and to be detected by the detection device; and

(h) an output device operatively coupled to the processor.

29. The interactive book of claim 28 wherein images on the pages of the book are related to the images on the solid object.

30. The interactive book of claim 28 wherein the solid object is a block with six faces, each face having a structural pattern that interacts with the detection device.

31. The interactive book of claim 28 wherein the images on the pages of the book relate to images on the solid object, wherein the images on the solid object and the pages of the book comprise animals.

32. The interactive book of claim 28 wherein the output device is a speaker.

33. The interactive book of claim 28 further comprising a read button on the housing, wherein the interactive book automatically reads from a displayed page when the read button is depressed.

34. The interactive book of claim 28 further comprising a music button, wherein the interactive book automatically plays music associated with the displayed page when the music button is depressed.

35. The interactive book of claim 28 wherein the solid object has six faces, each face having four structural patterns, each structural pattern on each face being at a side border region and being capable of interacting with the detection device, and each face having an image at a center region of the face.

36. The interactive book of claim 28 wherein the interactive book further comprises a binding and wherein the set of switches is in the binding.

37. An electronic toy vehicle apparatus comprising:

(a) a toy vehicle;

(b) a processor inside of the toy vehicle;

(c) a speaker operatively coupled to the processor;

(d) a memory device associated with the processor, wherein the memory comprises code for audio that comprises educational content; and

(e) a motor operatively coupled to the processor for causing the toy vehicle to move.

38. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 37 wherein the audio comprises letter sounds.

39. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 37 wherein the audio comprises the names of letters and the sounds of letters.

40. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 37 wherein the toy vehicle is an electronic toy train that comprises a train engine and a loading car, and wherein the loading car contains a well and a detection device at a bottom of the well, and wherein the electronic toy train further comprises a solid object that is adapted to be received in the well and is adapted to interact with the detection device at the bottom of the well.

41. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 40 wherein solid object is a block.

42. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 40 wherein the engine has an underside and the train car has an underside, and wherein the engine or the train car has a plurality of track-reading switches at the underside of the engine or the underside of the train car.

43. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 40 further comprising a train track, wherein the train track has a plurality of different structural patterns located at different points on the track to interact with the plurality of track-reading switches.

44. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 40 further comprising a track with a plurality of structural patterns, and wherein the toy vehicle contains a plurality of track-reading switches at an underside of the toy vehicle, the plurality of structural patterns being located on the track to engage the plurality of location switches.

45. The electronic toy train apparatus of claim 44 wherein the toy vehicle changes operation after the plurality of track-reading switches engages one of the structural patterns, and wherein the operation includes at least one of (i) stopping or starting the toy vehicle, (ii) causing the toy vehicle to move faster or slower, (iii) causing a song to play at a predetermined point, and (iv) playing a predetermined audio output.

46. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 37 further comprising:

a receiving region including a detection device in the vehicle; and

a solid object that is received in the receiving region and that is capable of being detected by the detection device.

47. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 46 wherein the solid object is a block.

48. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 46 wherein the solid object has six faces, each face having four structural patterns, each structural pattern on each face being at a side border region and being capable of interacting with the detection device, and each face having an image at a center region of the face.

49. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 46 wherein the solid object is a block, and wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of blocks, each block being cooperatively structured to fit into the receiving region.

50. The electronic toy vehicle apparatus of claim 49 wherein the plurality of blocks have a plurality of faces, the plurality of faces respectively comprising the letters A-Z.

51. An interactive book comprising:

(a) a front cover;

(b) a back cover;

(c) a binding coupling the front cover and the back cover;

(d) a well having sides and a bottom, the well being disposed on the front or back cover of the book, the well being of sufficient depth to receiving a block;

(e) a detection device at the sides or bottom of the well and comprising a first set of switches;

(f) a programmable processor operatively coupled to the detection device;

(g) a plurality of pages between the front cover and the back cover, the pages configured so as not to occlude the well; and

(h) a second set of switches associated with the pages, the second set of switches operatively coupled to the programmable processor,

wherein the processor causes an audio signal to be generated upon which page is currently being displayed to a user and which face of the block is displayed to the user when the block is placed in the well.

52. An electronic educational toy train comprising:

(a) an engine;

(b) a loading car attached to the engine, the loading car capable of carrying a block;

(c) a set of blocks having a first set of indicia, wherein the blocks are encoded for the indicia;

(d) a track having a second set of indicia, wherein the first set of indicia on the blocks matches the second set of indicia on the track;

(e) an electronic circuit in the loading car, the electronic circuit capable of detecting the block that is in the loading car; and

(f) a processor in the engine.

53. The toy train of claim 52 further comprising a speaker operatively coupled to the processor and a memory device that is preprogrammed with songs that are associated with the indicia, and wherein the processor is preprogrammed to play a song about an indicium on a block that is in the loading car.

54. A toy block comprising:

a solid body including six faces, wherein the six faces include (a) a first face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a first structural pattern, and (b) a second face defined by one or more continuous, uninterrupted edges and having a second structural pattern, the first structural pattern being different than the second structural pattern.

55. The toy block of claim 54 wherein all edges of the block are continuous and uninterrupted.

56. The toy block of claim 54 wherein all edges of the block are continuous and uninterrupted and each face of the block has an image.