Toy having optically actuated sound generator
First Claim
1. A toy doll including optical sensor means for triggering the generation of sounds in response to variations in light striking the optical sensor means, comprising in combination:
- (a) a doll body including a face portion, said face portion including at least one sensor hole formed therein;
(b) a cylindrical baffle having cylindrical walls of a predetermined diameter and having a first closed end and a second opposing open end, said first closed end having a plurality of perforations formed therein for permitting the passage of sounds therethrough, said closed end further including at least one sensor hole formed therein;
(c) a generally planar electronic circuit component board having at least one optical sensor mounted thereto and electrically coupled therewith, said optical sensor extending substantially perpendicular from said component board, said component board being disposed within and supported by the cylindrical walls of said baffle proximate said first closed end thereof, said optical sensor extending through the sensor hole of said first closed end of said baffle;
(d) electronic circuitry mounted upon said component board and responsive to said optical sensor for generating audio signals;
(e) a speaker electrically coupled to said electronic circuitry and having a diameter substantially commensurate with the predetermined diameter of said cylindrical baffle, said speaker being disposed within said cylindrical baffle proximate the open end thereof and directed toward the closed end of said cylindrical baffle for directing audio sounds out of said plurality of perforations; and
(f) means for positioning said cylindrical baffle within said doll body proximate said face portion, said optical sensor extending through the sensor hole formed within said face portion for receiving light directed toward the face portion of said doll body.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toy having an optically actuated sound generator includes first and second phototransistors coupled in series for creating a substantially binary output voltage based on the relative light intensities striking such phototransistors. A Schmitt-trigger circuit receives the binary output voltage and eliminates therefrom light-flicker components resulting from fluorescent lighting. Additional circuitry creates an enabling pulse at each transition of the Schmitt-trigger output signal, which enabling signal enables dual oscillator circuits. The dual oscillator output signals are gated together to drive a speaker for creating audible signals and to activate a light emitting diode. The electronic circuitry and speaker are housed in a baffle through which the phototransistors and light emitting diode protrude for communicating with a face portion of the toy.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A toy doll including optical sensor means for triggering the generation of sounds in response to variations in light striking the optical sensor means, comprising in combination:
-
(a) a doll body including a face portion, said face portion including at least one sensor hole formed therein; (b) a cylindrical baffle having cylindrical walls of a predetermined diameter and having a first closed end and a second opposing open end, said first closed end having a plurality of perforations formed therein for permitting the passage of sounds therethrough, said closed end further including at least one sensor hole formed therein; (c) a generally planar electronic circuit component board having at least one optical sensor mounted thereto and electrically coupled therewith, said optical sensor extending substantially perpendicular from said component board, said component board being disposed within and supported by the cylindrical walls of said baffle proximate said first closed end thereof, said optical sensor extending through the sensor hole of said first closed end of said baffle; (d) electronic circuitry mounted upon said component board and responsive to said optical sensor for generating audio signals; (e) a speaker electrically coupled to said electronic circuitry and having a diameter substantially commensurate with the predetermined diameter of said cylindrical baffle, said speaker being disposed within said cylindrical baffle proximate the open end thereof and directed toward the closed end of said cylindrical baffle for directing audio sounds out of said plurality of perforations; and (f) means for positioning said cylindrical baffle within said doll body proximate said face portion, said optical sensor extending through the sensor hole formed within said face portion for receiving light directed toward the face portion of said doll body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A toy doll having a face portion and generating audible and visual signals in response to variations in light impinging on said face portion, comprising in combination:
-
(a) optical sensor means disposed within the face portion of said toy doll for creating a voltage responsive to light received by said face portion; (b) detecting means coupled to said optical sensor means for detecting a change in said light responsive voltage and generating a trigger pulse in response thereto; (c) an electrical circuit coupled to said detecting means and responsive to said trigger pulse for generating audio signals in response thereto; (d) a speaker coupled to said electrical circuit for receiving said audio signals and providing audible signals in response thereto; and (e) a light emitting device communicating with the face portion of said toy doll and coupled to said electrical circuit, said light-emitting device providing visual signals from the face portion of said toy doll generally corresponding to said audible signals provided by said speaker. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
-
-
8. A toy doll having a doll body generating audible signals in response to variations in light impinging on first and second portions thereof, comprising in combination:
-
(a) a first phototransistor having an emitter, a light responsive base, and a collector; (b) first means for coupling the emitter of said first phototransistor to ground potential; (c) a second phototransistor having an emitter, a light responsive base, and a collector; (d) second means for coupling the collector of said second phototransistor to a supply voltage; (e) third means for coupling the collector of said first phototransistor with the emitter of said second phototransistor at a summing junction to produce a junction voltage; (f) the doll body of said toy doll including at least first and second holes formed therein for passing light to said first and second phototransistors, respectively; (g) said junction voltage generally assuming one of two output voltage levels in accordance with the relative amounts of light received by said first and second phototransistors, said junction voltage assuming a first output voltage level relatively near ground potential when said first phototransistor receives more light than said second phototransistor, said junction voltage assuming a second output voltage level relatively near the supply voltage when said first phototransistor receives less light than said second phototransistor; (h) detecting means coupled to said summing junction and responsive to transitions of the junction voltage between the first and second output voltage levels for generating a trigger pulse in response to such transitions; (i) audio generator means coupled to said detecting means and responsive to said trigger pulse for generating audio signals for a predetermined duration; and (j) a speaker coupled to said audio generator means for providing audible signals in response to said audio signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A toy doll having a doll body and generating audible signals in response to variations in light impinging on said doll body, comprising in combination:
-
(a) optical sensor means communicating with the doll body of said toy doll for creating a voltage responsive to light received by said optical sensor means; (b) a Schmitt-trigger circuit having at least one input coupled to said optical sensor means for receiving the light responsive voltage and having an output for providing a binary output signal having first and second logic states, said binary output signal switching to a first logic state when said light responsive voltage falls below a first threshold voltage and switching to a second logic state when said light responsive voltage rises above a second threshold voltage, said first threshold voltage being of lesser magnitude than said second threshold voltage for imparting hysteresis to the input/output voltage transfer characteristics of said Schmitt-trigger circuit, said Schmitt-trigger circuit thereby serving to sharpen rising and falling edges of transitions of said light responsive voltage, and serving to increase the immunity of said toy doll to light flicker conditions resulting from fluourescent lighting; (c) detecting means coupled to the output of said Schmitt-trigger circuit for detecting transitions in the binary output signal provided thereby and generating a trigger pulse of predetermined duration in response thereto; (d) audio generator means coupled to said detecting means and responsive to said trigger pulse for generating audio signals; and (e) a speaker coupled to said audio generator means for providing audible signals in response to said audio signals. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A toy doll including optical sensor means for triggering the generation of lifelike sounds from the toy doll, comprising in combination:
-
(a) a doll body having at least one hole formed therein; (b) optical sensor means disposed within said doll body and communicating with said hole therein for receiving light therethrough and generating an electrical signal in response thereto; (c) circuit means coupled to said optical sensor means and responsive to predetermined changes in said light responsive electrical signal for providing an enabling signal of a predetermined duration; (d) a first oscillator coupled to said circuit means and having a gating input for receiving said enabling signal, said first oscillator having an output for providing a first oscillating signal of a first frequency during the presence of said enabling signal; (e) a second oscillator coupled to said circuit means and having a gating input for receiving said enabling signal, said second oscillator having an output for providing a second oscillating signal of a second frequency during the presence of said enabling signal, the second frequency being within the range of audio frequencies and relatively higher than said first frequency; (f) logic gating means having first and second input terminals, said first input terminal being coupled to the output of said first oscillator for receiving said first oscillating signal, said second input terminal being coupled to the output of said second oscillator for receiving said second oscillating signal, said logic gating means having an output terminal providing a gated output signal corresponding to said second oscillating signal gated by said first oscillating signal during the presence of said enabling signal; and (g) a speaker mounted within said doll body and coupled to the output terminal of said logic gating means and responsive to the gated output signal for providing said lifelike sounds. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A toy doll having a doll body and generating audible sounds in response to particular variations of light impinging on at least two portions of said doll body, comprising in combination:
-
(a) optical sensor means having first and second light sensors positioned at first and second locations within said doll body for viewing first and second light fields, said optical sensor means including an output terminal for providing an output signal having first and second output states, the output signal assuming a first output state when said first light sensor receives relatively more light than said second light sensor, the output signal assuming a second output state when said second light sensor receives relatively more light than said first light sensor; (b) detecting means coupled to said output terminal of said optical sensor means and responsive to transitions of the output signal between the first and second output states for generating a trigger pulse in response to such transitions; (c) audio generator means coupled to said detecting means and responsive to said trigger pulse for generating audio signals for a predetermined duration; and (d) a speaker coupled to said audio generator means for providing audible signals in response to said audio signals. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
Specification