Children's toy with wireless tag/transponder

• US 20060234601A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MQ Gaming LLC
• Original Assignee: Creative Kingdoms LLC (Great Wolf Resorts Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weston, Denise Chapman
• Granted Patent: US 7,488,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/268
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/00 Dolls puppets or marionettes for shows or theatres A63J19/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/02 made of fabrics or stuffed
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/48 Mounting of parts within dolls, e.g. automatic eyes or parts for animation self-moving A63H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 21/00 Conjuring appliances; Auxiliary apparatus for conjurers

Abstract

A playmate toy or similar children'"'"'s toy is provided having associated wireless, batteryless ID tag that can be read from and/or written to using a radio-frequency communication protocol. The tag is mounted internally within a cavity of the toy and thereby provides wireless communication of stored information without requiring removal and reinsertion of the tag. In this manner, a stuffed animal or other toy can be quickly and easily identified non-invasively, without damaging the toy. Additional information (e.g., unique personality traits, special powers, skill levels, etc.) can also be stored on the ID tag, thus providing further personality enhancement, input/output programming, simulated intelligence and/or interactive gaming possibilities.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A toy character for use in interactive entertainment, the toy character comprising:

an outer covering;

an inner portion surrounded by the outer covering; and

a wireless transponder disposed in the inner portion, the wireless transponder further comprising;

a memory for storing character information associated with the toy character, and

an antenna portion for communicating the character information wirelessly through the outer covering without requiring exposure of the wireless transponder.

3. The toy character of claim 2, wherein the toy character comprises one of a stuffed animal and a doll.

4. The toy character of claim 2, wherein the wireless transponder comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

5. The toy character of claim 4, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RFID tag.

6. The toy character of claim 4, wherein the RFID tag comprises a read/write tag.

7. The toy character of claim 2, further comprising an indicator in communication with the wireless transponder, the indicator configured to produce an effect in response to the communication of the character information.

8. The toy character of claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of a visual indicator and an audio indicator.

9. The toy character of claim 2, further comprising a second wireless transponder.

10. The toy character of claim 2, wherein the character information comprises at least one of:

name, birthday, owner, points, tasks completed and places visited.

11. An interactive toy system for child entertainment, the interactive toy system comprising:

a transceiver; and

a toy character comprising at least one of a doll, a puppet and a stuffed animal, the toy character further comprising;

an outer covering,

a memory disposed within the outer covering, the memory configured to store information, and

a wireless tag concealed within the outer covering, the wireless tag configured to wirelessly communicate the information with the transceiver through the outer covering without requiring exposure of the wireless tag to the transceiver.

12. The interactive toy system of claim 11, wherein the wireless tag comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

13. The interactive toy system of claim 12, wherein the RFID tag is capable of bidirectional communication with the transceiver.

14. The interactive toy system of claim 11, wherein the wireless tag comprises a batteryless tag.

15. The interactive toy system of claim 11, wherein the information comprises character information associated with the toy character.

16. The interactive toy system of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is configured to produce one or more effects based at least on the information received from the wireless tag.

17. The interactive toy system of claim 16, wherein the one or more effects comprises at least one of a visual, aural and tactile effect.

18. A method of providing an interactive toy character, the method comprising:

providing an outer covering of an interactive toy character;

providing an inner stuffing for placement within the outer covering; and

embedding a wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in the inner stuffing within the outer covering such that the wireless RFID tag cannot be easily removed or dislodged, wherein the wireless RFID tag is configured for wireless communication of information through the outer covering without requiring removal or exposure of the wireless RFID tag.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless RFID tag is capable of bidirectional communication with an RFID reader external to the interactive toy character.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RFID tag.

21. The method of claim 18, additionally comprising inserting the wireless RFID tag within a heart-shaped casing prior to embedding the wireless RFID tag in the inner stuffing.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the interactive toy character is a stuffed animal.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the interactive toy character is a doll.