CONTEXT-BASED INTERACTIVE PLUSH TOY

• US 20150100320A1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: GARBOS, JENNIFER R., BODENDISTEL, TIMOTHY G., FRIEDMANN, PETER B.
• Application Number:
  US14/571,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100320A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/272
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/38 Picture books with additional toy effects, e.g. pop-up or slide displays picture books B42D1/00

Abstract

A literary work defining a narrative, the literary work having phrases therein. The phrases including triggering phrases, non-triggering phrases, and non-stored triggering phrases. An interactive toy or device for interacting with a user while the phrases are being made audible. The toy or device includes a speech recognition unit that receives the audible phrases and detects the triggering and non-triggering phrases as they are audibilized. The triggering phrases may have independent significance or may only have significance when combined with non-triggering phrases from the literary work.

Claims

1. A literary work comprising:

a first plurality of non-triggering phrases that form part of a story told in the literary work; and

at least one triggering phrase that supplements the story told in the literary work, wherein the at least one triggering phrase is selectively placed among a second plurality of non-triggering phrases;

wherein the first plurality of non-triggering phrases and the at least one triggering phrase are received and analyzed as audible sounds by an interactive toy when read aloud by a user, the interactive toy comprising;

a body having an interior cavity;

a speech recognition unit at least partially positioned within the interior cavity and configured to receive the audible sounds and determine if the at least one triggering phrase was received; and

a sound module at least partially positioned within the interior cavity, the sound module having a speaker and a controller with a plurality of audio messages stored therein for selective activation via the speaker, wherein one or more messages are activated if the at least one triggering phrase was received.

2. The literary work of claim 1, wherein the literary work is a movie, a book, or a live broadcast.

3. The literary work of claim 2, wherein the literary work is a book and wherein the at least one triggering phrase is selectively placed at an end of a sentence within the story told in the book.

4. The literary work of claim 2, wherein the literary work is a book and wherein the at least one triggering phrase is selectively placed at the beginning of a sentence within the story told in the book.

5. The literary work of claim 2, wherein the literary work is a book and wherein the at least one triggering phrase is selectively placed at an end of a sentence at an end of a page of the book.

6. The literary work of claim 2, wherein the literary work is a book and wherein the at least one triggering phrase is selectively placed in a clause within a sentence within the story told in the book.

7. The literary work of claim 1, wherein the literary work is a book and wherein the book includes at least one additional triggering phrase and one additional non-triggering phrase to continue the story in the book.

8. The literary work of claim 7, wherein the additional triggering phrase is analyzed by the interactive toy and initiates activation of another message by the toy upon detection.

9. A literary work defining a narrative, the literary work comprising:

a plurality of phrases that comprise the narrative, the phrases including triggering phrases, non-triggering phrases, and non-stored non-triggering phrases;

whereby the triggering and non-triggering phrases are stored in a memory associated with a speech recognition unit and wherein the non-stored non-triggering phrases are not stored in the memory;

whereby detection by the speech recognition unit of both a non-triggering phrase and a triggering phrase causes activation of a response; and

whereby detection by the speech recognition unit of the non-stored non-triggering phrases does not cause activation of a response.