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Interactive animated characters

  • US 20060270312A1
  • Filed: 05/27/2005
  • Published: 11/30/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. An electrically controlled animating apparatus for simulating life-like movements, the apparatus comprising:

  • a front facial area, a body and a plurality of movable body parts thereof;

    sound generating circuitry for generating speech including multisyllabic words;

    a plurality of sensors for detecting external inputs;

    a controller responsive to the plurality of sensors;

    said controller being operable to control the sound generating circuitry;

    a mouth assembly on the front facial area comprising flexible molded material having upper and lower mouth portions and having first and second opposing corners thereof;

    a first mouth mechanism operable with the mouth assembly for controlling the first and second-corners of the mouth assembly to define smile/emotion states of the mouth assembly responsive to external input from sensed conditions of the plurality of sensors;

    a second mouth mechanism operable with the mouth assembly for controlling the upper and lower mouth portions to provide lip synchronism response to the multisyllabic words generated with the sound generating circuitry;

    a drive system that powers movement of the first and second mouth mechanisms independently to simulate life-like responses to sensed conditions;

    a first control shaft for the first mouth mechanism driven for rotation by the drive system;

    a second control shaft for the second mouth mechanism driven by the drive system;

    at least one of the first or second control shafts having a predetermined range of rotation for causing movement of at least one of the plurality of movable body parts in addition to the first or second mechanisms.

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