Keyed Memory Device to Record Input User Signals and Output Recorded User Signals

• US 20140091907A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: YU, Jessica S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.65
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

An electronic system is configured to receive input content (e.g., audio content, video content and/or other content) from a user and convert the input content to input signals (e.g., audio signals, video signals, etc.) that are stored in an electronic storage medium, where the input signals correspond with specific code signals. The recorded input signals are output based upon specific code signals input to the electronic device. For example, the electronic system can include an electronic device and at least one accessory associated with the electronic device, where the accessory includes an accessory code that is readable by a code reader of the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic system comprising:

an accessory including an accessory code; and

an electronic housing including;

a code reader operable to;

interface with the accessory; and

generate an accessory code signal that corresponds with the accessory code;

an input device operable to receive content from a user and convert the content into a corresponding input signal;

an output device operable to convert the input signal into corresponding content for output by the output device;

a memory operable to store input signals from the input device and operable to send a stored input signal to the output device; and

a controller operably connected to each of the code reader, the input device, the output device, and the memory, the controller being operable to;

associate a first accessory code signal received from the code reader with a first input signal received by the input device and stored within the memory;

subsequent to storing of the first input signal within the memory, activate the output device to receive the first input signal from the memory and output content corresponding with the first input signal in response to an input accessory code from the code reader corresponding to the first accessory signal.

2. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein content received from the input device comprises at least one of audio content, video content and textual content.

3. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a microphone and the output device comprises an audio speaker.

4. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a camera and the output device comprises an image display.

5. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises a key, and the housing further comprises a keyhole configured to receive at least a portion of the key, wherein the code reader interfaces with the key in response to the key being inserted within the keyhole.

6. The electronic system of claim 5, wherein the code reader comprises a plurality of electrical switches configured to engage with protrusions of the key when the portion of the key is inserted within the keyhole so as to output the accessory code signal from an electrical circuit that corresponds with the accessory code of the key.

7. The electronic system of claim 1, further comprising a marker associated with the first accessory, wherein the marker is linked with an object that is storable within the housing so as to associate the object with the first accessory and content stored within the memory that corresponds with the first accessory.

8. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the electronic housing further includes:

a lid that is selectively movable from an open position that permits access to an internal compartment of the electronic housing to a closed position that prevents access to the internal compartment; and

a locking mechanism that controls movement of the lid from the closed position to the open position;

wherein the controller is further operable to control the locking mechanism to permit movement of the lid from the closed position to the open position in response to input of a unique password via the input device.

9. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the electronic housing further comprises a secret compartment that is non-contiguous with the internal compartment.

10. A method of associating recorded content with accessories in an electronic system, the method comprising:

providing a first accessory including a first accessory code;

providing an electronic housing including a code reader, a memory, an input device, an output device and a controller that controls operations of the code reader, memory, input and output devices;

in response to an interface between the first accessory and the code reader, generating a first accessory code signal, via the code reader, that corresponds with the first accessory code;

facilitating, via the controller and the input device, an input of content by the user at the input device;

converting, via the input device, the content input by the user into a first input signal that is associated with the first accessory code signal; and

storing, via the controller, the first input signal within the memory.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to an interface between an accessory and the code reader, generating an accessory code signal, via the code reader, that corresponds with an accessory code of the accessory;

determining, via the processor, whether the accessory code signal generated by the code reader corresponds with the first accessory signal;

in response to a determination by the processor that the accessory code signal corresponds with the first accessory signal, providing the first input signal to the output device; and

converting the first input signal into the content and outputting the content via the output device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a marker to be linked with an object storable within the housing, wherein the marker associates the object with the first accessory and content stored within the memory that corresponds with the first accessory.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein facilitating input of content by the user further comprises:

facilitating, via the controller, input of at least one of audio content, video content and textual content at the input device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

facilitating input of content by the user further comprises providing a microphone to facilitate input of audio content; and

outputting of content via the output device comprises providing an audio speaker to output audio content.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

facilitating input of content by the user further comprises providing a camera to facilitate input of video content; and

outputting of content via the output device comprises providing an image display to output video content.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first accessory comprises a key, the housing further comprises a keyhole, and the method further comprises:

facilitating receipt of at least a portion of the key within the key hole to achieve the interface between the first accessory and the code reader.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the code reader comprises a plurality of electrical switches and a corresponding electrical circuit, and the method further comprises:

facilitating the interface between the first accessory and the code reader in response to the key being inserted within the keyhole such that one or more of the electrical switches engage with one or more protrusions of the key when the portion of the key is inserted within the keyhole; and

in response to engagement of the one or more electrical switches with the one or more protrusions of the key, generating the accessory code signal from the electrical circuit that corresponds with the accessory code of the key.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic housing includes a lid that is selectively movable from an open position that permits access to an internal compartment of the electronic housing to a closed position that prevents access to the internal compartment, and the method further comprises:

operating, via the controller, a locking mechanism that controls movement of the lid from the closed position to the open position in response to input of a unique password via the input device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

facilitating access to a secret compartment of the electronic housing that is non-contiguous with the internal compartment.