Method and apparatus for facilitating communication between a user and a toy

• US 20060017543A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Feinberg, Paul H.
• Application Number:
  US11/209,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20060017543A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/753 using frequency selective elements, e.g. resonator
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

An apparatus includes a plurality of radio frequency tags operable to produce respective answer electromagnetic waves in response to a query electromagnetic wave; and a toy including a query circuit and an interaction circuit, the query circuit being operable to emit the query electromagnetic wave and receive one or more of the answer electromagnetic waves, and the interaction circuit being operable to select an output perceptible by a user based on which of the one or more answer electromagnetic waves are received.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one mobile item operable to be carried by a user and including a radio frequency tag operable to produce an answer electromagnetic wave in response to a query electromagnetic wave; and

a toy including a query circuit and an interaction circuit, the query circuit being operable to emit the query electromagnetic wave and receive the answer electromagnetic wave, and the interaction circuit being operable to select an output perceptible by the user based on the answer electromagnetic wave,

wherein the interaction circuit is operable to associate a user defined phrase with one or more of the answer electromagnetic waves such that the interaction circuit is operable to select the user defined phrase based on receiving the associated one or more answer electromagnetic waves.