SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A TOY TO INTERACT WITH A COMPUTING DEVICE THROUGH WIRELESS TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20130044570A1
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Armen Mkrtchyan
• Inventors: MKRTCHYAN, Armen
• Granted Patent: US 9,089,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/197
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed that enable a toy device to interact with a computing device through wireless transmissions. The toy device is configured to communicate with the computing device by transmitting an audio signal at a nearly-inaudible frequency. The toy device may encode commands in the audio signal that cause the computing device to generate visual or auditory outputs. The toy device is also configured to receive and process interactions from human users and/or computing devices. The interactions may be in the form of speech or physical manipulations of the toy device. The toy device may respond to the interactions by generating visual or auditory outputs. The toy device may also process the interaction, and, in response, transmit an audio signal to the computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling interactions between a toy and a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the toy device, an interaction;

processing the interaction to generate an input;

encoding the input into an audio signal; and

wirelessly transmitting, at a nearly-inaudible frequency, the audio signal from the toy device to the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction is provided by a human user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising outputting a visual or auditory response in response to the input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interaction is speaking to the toy device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the interaction is physically manipulating the toy device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction is provided by the computing device resulting from input received by the computing device from a human user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing, by the computing device, the audio signal to generate the input; and

outputting, by the computing device, a visual or auditory response based on the input.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computing device outputs an auditory response, and further comprising:

receiving, by the toy device, the auditory response output by the computing device; and

processing, by the toy device, the auditory response to generate a secondary visual or secondary auditory response based on the auditory response output by the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signal encodes a command that the computing device is configured to execute.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving simultaneous with the interaction, a second interaction; and

processing the second interaction to generate a visual or auditory response.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, enable interactions between a toy and a computing device, by performing the steps of:

receiving, by the toy device, an interaction;

processing the interaction to generate an input;

encoding the input into an audio signal; and

wirelessly transmitting, at a nearly-inaudible frequency, the audio signal from the toy device to the computing device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the interaction is provided by a human user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising outputting a visual or auditory response in response to the input.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the interaction is speaking to the toy device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the interaction is physically manipulating the toy device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

processing, by the computing device, the audio signal to generate the input; and

outputting, by the computing device, a visual or auditory response based on the input.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computing device outputs an auditory response, and further comprising:

receiving, by the toy device, the auditory response output by the computing device; and

processing, by the toy device, the auditory response to generate a secondary visual or secondary auditory response based on the auditory response output by the computing device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the audio signal encodes a command that the computing device is configured to execute.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving simultaneous with the interaction, a second interaction; and

processing the second interaction to generate a visual or auditory response.

20. A system comprising:

a toy device including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory includes an interaction application module configured to enable interactions between a toy and a computing device by receiving an interaction, processing the interaction to generate an input, encoding the input into an audio signal, and wirelessly transmitting, at a nearly-inaudible frequency, the audio signal to the computing device; and

the computing device configured to process the audio signal to generate the input and output a visual or auditory response based on the input.