Musical cube
First Claim
1. An improved musical cube comprising:
- (a) a six-sided substantially cubical housing made of a material allowing light transmission therethrough, each side having a face;
(b) an electrical circuit mounted in said housing including;
(i) a microprocessor having memory means for storing six unique sound sequences, each sound sequence including at least a first sound followed by a pause followed by at least a second sound;
(ii) three two-axis switches, each said switch including a moving contact having three positions, a first position closing a first subcircuit and opening a second subcircuit, a second position closing said second subcircuit and opening said first subcircuit and a third position opening said first and second subcircuits, said electrical circuit including three first subcircuits and three second subcircuits with each subcircuit corresponding to one of said six faces, each said switch being gravity operated, said switches being mounted in said housing in mutually perpendicular relation with respect to one another, each said subcircuit being connected with said microprocessor memory means to access one particular said sound sequence;
(iii) whereby as said housing is moved, at any given instant, one of said faces may face in a predetermined direction with respect to the direction of the force of gravity, and whereby whenever any one of said faces is facing in said predetermined direction, a said switch corresponding to said one of said faces moves under the force of gravity to one of said first and second positions to thereby close a corresponding one of said six subcircuits, thereby causing at least a portion of one of said unique sound sequences to be played, said circuit causing others of said sound sequences to be played as respective others of said faces are caused to face in said predetermined direction during movements of said housing;
(iv) further wherein whenever a said subscriber is closed for a time period less than a predetermined time period, only a respective said first sound is played, and whenever a said subcircuit is closed for a time period greater than said predetermined time period, at least a portion of said second sound is played.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an improved musical cube. The cube includes circuitry mounted within its cubical housing with the circuitry including three two-axis switches with each such switch having a central open position and two positions, one to either side of the central position, each side position of which closes a particular unique sub-circuit. The three switches are mounted in the housing in mutually perpendicular relation and the switches combine to control the operation of six sub-circuits. In the operation of the improved musical cube, a read-only memory and synthesizer device are incorporated into a circuit with the read-only memory being pre-programmed with a distinct musical sequence for each of the six sub-circuits. When the cube is rolled or thrown, as each particular face of the housing thereof faces upwardly, a corresponding one of the six sub-circuits is closed by virtue of one of the sides of one of the three two-axis switches, thereby resulting in activation of a particular sub-circuit and the resulting playing of a predetermined tone burst followed by a predetermined melody. If the cube is rolled rapidly, only the tone bursts of the particular faces are played and, when a particular face faces upwardly, the entire melodic sequence will be played and, after a predetermined time period, the device will be deactivated.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. An improved musical cube comprising:
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(a) a six-sided substantially cubical housing made of a material allowing light transmission therethrough, each side having a face; (b) an electrical circuit mounted in said housing including; (i) a microprocessor having memory means for storing six unique sound sequences, each sound sequence including at least a first sound followed by a pause followed by at least a second sound; (ii) three two-axis switches, each said switch including a moving contact having three positions, a first position closing a first subcircuit and opening a second subcircuit, a second position closing said second subcircuit and opening said first subcircuit and a third position opening said first and second subcircuits, said electrical circuit including three first subcircuits and three second subcircuits with each subcircuit corresponding to one of said six faces, each said switch being gravity operated, said switches being mounted in said housing in mutually perpendicular relation with respect to one another, each said subcircuit being connected with said microprocessor memory means to access one particular said sound sequence; (iii) whereby as said housing is moved, at any given instant, one of said faces may face in a predetermined direction with respect to the direction of the force of gravity, and whereby whenever any one of said faces is facing in said predetermined direction, a said switch corresponding to said one of said faces moves under the force of gravity to one of said first and second positions to thereby close a corresponding one of said six subcircuits, thereby causing at least a portion of one of said unique sound sequences to be played, said circuit causing others of said sound sequences to be played as respective others of said faces are caused to face in said predetermined direction during movements of said housing; (iv) further wherein whenever a said subscriber is closed for a time period less than a predetermined time period, only a respective said first sound is played, and whenever a said subcircuit is closed for a time period greater than said predetermined time period, at least a portion of said second sound is played. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification