CONTROL SYSTEM OF INTERACTIVE TOY SET THAT RESPONDS TO NETWORK REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION MESSAGES

• US 20080168143A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Allgates Semiconductor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Allgates Semiconductor, Inc.
• Inventors: TSAI, Yao-Lung, SHIEH, Yuh-Wen, FANG, Shan-Yi
• Application Number:
  US11/691,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168143A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A control system of an interactive toy set that responds to network real-time communicating messages has at least two toys and two network computer devices connected to the toys, respectively. Each toy has a processor built in with a table of corresponding real-time communicating messages and control commands. Each computer device is built in with real-time communicating software and conversion software. Once the real-time communicating software starts running, one or several remote computer devices that are in communications with the local computer device are obtained by the conversion software. Communicating messages are then exchanged between the local and remote computer devices. The communicating messages are then sent to the toy. According to the table, the processor controls the toy to perform the corresponding motions. Therefore, the player can make the toy respond according to the communicating messages, increasing the fun of remote communications.

Claims

1. A control system of an interactive toy set that respond to network real-time communicating messages, comprising:

at least two toys, each of which is disposed with a processor and a plurality of action units connected with and controller by the processor, wherein the processor is built in with a look-up table of real-time communicating messages and corresponding control commands and a message responding procedure; and

at least two computer device linked to each other via Internet, wherein each of the at least two computer device is connected with its corresponding toy and to Internet and is built in with real-time communicating software and a conversion software, the conversion software is linked with the real-time communicating software for extracting communicating messages between the real-time communicating software and the other computer device on the Internet and transmitting the message to the toy connected with a computer device.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each toy comprises:

a memory unit connected with the processor;

a computer connecting interface connected with the processor for the connection of the corresponding computer device;

an input device connected to the processor and provided with a button switch and at least one sensor; and

an output device disposed outside the toy and connected to the output terminal of and controlled by the processor therein.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each toy further comprises a sound recording and playing controller connected to the processor via a voice recognition processor and to the memory via a voice generator.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each toy has a sound recording and playing controller connected to the processor via a voice recognition processor and to the memory unit of the processor directly.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensor of the input device is an infrared (IR) sensor, touch-control sensor, photo sensor, edge probe, or tilt sensor.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the input device includes a remote control receiver for receiving remote control signals from an external remote control.

7. The control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the input device includes a remote control receiver for receiving remote control signals from an external remote control.

8. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is connected with a video camera and controls the video camera to capture images in different directions and angles and send the captured images to the computer device via the computer connecting interface.

9. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the output device further comprises a display and a speaker, both connected with the processor.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the computer connecting interface is connected to the computer device in a wired or wireless connection.

11. The control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the computer connecting interface is an RS-232, USB, PS2, BLUETOOTH, IR, or RF interface.

12. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message responding procedure of the processor comprises steps of:

determining whether the computer device enters a real-time communicating message and continuing to the next step if yes;

reading the look-up table of real-time communicating messages and corresponding control commands;

comparing the received real-time communicating message with the look-up table and reading out the corresponding control command; and

controlling a corresponding action unit of the toy to perform an action according to the control command.

13. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each computer device executes steps of:

starting the real-time communicating software;

registering on the real-time communication network server and displaying a connection window;

searching accounts of default remote computer devices on the server and displaying the accounts of connected remote computer devices in the connection window;

starting available hardware functions of the computer device and displaying the available hardware functions in the window;

detecting whether any message is transmitted from the other computer device and, if yes, outputting it to the computer connecting interface of the toy connected with the computer device; and

repeated the previous step.

14. The control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein each computer device executes steps of:

starting the real-time communicating software;

registering on the real-time communication network server and displaying a connection window;

searching accounts of default remote computer devices on the server and displaying the accounts of connected remote computer devices in the connection window;

starting available hardware functions of the computer device and displaying the available hardware functions in the window;

detecting whether any message is transmitted from the other computer device and, if yes, outputting it to the computer connecting interface of the toy connected with the computer device; and

repeated the previous step.

15. The control system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the window has control keys for local and remote toys, each of which is defined with a real-time communicating message, so that when one of the control keys for a local/remote toy is clicked, the local/remote toy performs a corresponding action according to the received communicating message associated with the control key.

16. The control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the window has control keys for local and remote toys, each of which is defined with a real-time communicating message, so that when one of the control keys for a local/remote toy is clicked, the local/remote toy performs a corresponding action according to the received communicating message associated with the control key.