Talking toy ball having impact data sensor

• US 20080015064A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark J. Chernick, Simeon E. Tiefel, Webb T. Nelson
• Original Assignee: Mark J. Chernick, Simeon E. Tiefel, Webb T. Nelson
• Inventors: Tiefel, Simeon E., Nelson, Webb T., Chernick, Mark J.
• Application Number:
  US11/474,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/571
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10

Abstract

A toy ball assembly and its method of operation. The toy ball assembly speaks or otherwise communicates with the person playing with the toy ball assembly. Within the toy ball assembly, an electronic module is provided. The electronics module holds a battery, an activation switch, a processor, an impact sensor, an audio signal memory and a speaker. The electronics module is encased deep within the center of a high-bounce ball. Channels are formed into the material of the high-bounce ball to provide unobstructed access to both the activation switch and the speaker. The impact sensor provides an impact signal to the processor each time the ball impacts a surface. Utilizing the impact signal, the processor selects an audio signal from the audio signal memory. The speaker receives and broadcasts the selected audio signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

providing an electronics module that includes a battery, a processor, an impact sensor, an audio signal memory, and a speaker;

encasing said electronics module inside a ball;

wherein said impact sensor provides an impact signal to said processor each time said ball impacts a surface, and said processor selects an audio signal from said audio signal memory based upon said impact signal, and

wherein said speaker receives and broadcasts said audio signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of providing a conduit in said ball that aligns with said speaker in said electronics module, therein providing an unobstructed pathway out of said ball for sounds broadcast by said speaker.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of encasing said electronics module inside a ball includes providing an activation switch as part of said electronics module.

4. The method according to claim 3, further including the step of providing a conduit in said ball that aligns with said activation switch, therein providing unobstructed access to said activation switch.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processor counts each said impact signal received from said impact sensor, therein creating a cumulative count.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said audio signal selected from said audio signal memory corresponds to said cumulative count.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processor calculates bounce height from said impact signal received from said impact sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said audio signal selected from said audio signal memory corresponds to said bounce height.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processor calculates ball impact speed from said impact signal received from said impact sensor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said audio signal selected from said audio signal memory corresponds to said ball impact speed.

11. A method of broadcasting impact information about a ball, comprising the steps of:

providing a ball containing an impact sensor that produces an impact signal, when said ball is impacted, that is proportional to how hard said ball is impacted;

detecting when said ball impacts a surface;

retrieving one of a plurality of audio signals from an audio signal memory depending upon said impact signal; and

broadcasting said audio signal from said ball.

12. The method according to claim 11, further including the step of calculating bounce height of said ball from said impact signal, wherein said audio signal identifies said bounce height.

13. The method according to claim 11, further including the step of calculating the impact speed of said ball from said impact signal, wherein said audio signal identifies said impact speed.

14. The method according to claim 11, further including the step of calculating cumulative impacts of said ball from cumulative occurrences of said impact signal, wherein said audio signal identifies said cumulative impacts.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of providing a ball containing an impact sensor, includes providing a ball containing an internal electronics module, wherein said electronics module holds said impact sensor and a speaker.

16. A novelty ball, comprising:

a ball structure of resilient material, wherein said ball structure has an external first diameter;

a cavity centrally defined within said ball structure, said cavity having a second diameter;

an electronics module containing a speaker

retained in said cavity;

a conduit descending into said ball structure to said speaker, therein providing an unobstructed pathway to said speaker.

17. The ball according to claim 16, wherein said electronics module further includes an impact sensor.

18. The ball according to claim 16, wherein said electronics module further includes an audio signal memory.

19. The ball according to claim 16, wherein said second diameter is no greater than half of said first diameter.