Doll with programmable speech activated by pressure on particular parts of head and body

• US 5,376,038 A
• Filed: 01/18/1994
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toy Biz Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Toy Biz Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Jeffway, Robert W. Jr., Arad, Avi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US08/183,597
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 446/297, 446/299, 446/300, 446/302, 446/303, 446/370, 446/371, 446/397, 446/408, 446/484
• US Class Current: 446/297
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds

Abstract

This invention relates to talking dolls of the type having internal prerecorded speech mechanisms. More particularly, the present invention relates to talking dolls of the type having internal prerecorded speech mechanisms, wherein the doll'"'"'s educational speech is activated by pressing on certain parts of the doll'"'"'s body and head region. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to talking dolls of the type having internal prerecorded speech mechanisms, wherein the doll'"'"'s educational speech can be programmed by the user to play phrases in a desired sequence. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to talking dolls of the type having internal prerecorded speech mechanisms, wherein the doll'"'"'s educational speech is programmed to advance with the child user and to educate the child user as to the names and functions of the different body parts.

Claims

1. A talking doll capable of playing preprogrammed speech, comprising:

a housing in the form of a human infant body, said housing comprising a head having human facial and head features thereon including a nose and a mouth, which head is comprised of a head frame within said head and a flexible outer covering around said head frame forming said human features;

storage means mounted within said housing for storing a plurality of prerecorded audible speech messages;

speaker means mounted within said housing for playing said prerecorded audible speech messages;

a plurality of switches set at various points within said housing, each switch being respectively associated with a different group of audible speech messages from among the plurality of prerecorded audible speech messages, at least two of said plurality of switches being set within said head frame whereby each of said at least two switches is associated with one of said features, such that a first of said at least two switches is associated with said nose and with a first group of said audible speech messages concerning said nose, a second of said at least two switches is associated with said mouth and with a second group of said audible speech messages concerning said mouth, and said first and second of said at least two switches are in close proximity to one another; and

processor control means mounted within said housing and coupled to each of said storage means, speaker means and switches, and having a stored program of coded instructions, including

(a) means for operating said doll in a first mode in which activation of each of said switches from within said plurality of switches causes a respective one of said audible speech messages from a first set of said prerecorded audible speech messages to be played through said speaker means;

(b) means for operating said doll in a second mode in which activation of each of said switches from within said plurality of switches causes a respective one of said audible speech messages from a second set of said prerecorded audible speech messages to be played through said speaker means; and

(c) means for operating said doll in a third mode in which activation of a succession of at least one of said switches from within said plurality of switches causes a succession of respective ones of said audible speech messages from a first set of prerecorded audible speech messages to be played through said speaker means;

wherein said housing further comprises a protrusion within said head frame between said first switch associated with said nose and said second switch associated with said mouth, whereby said protrusion prevents activation of either of said first and second switches when the other of said first and second switches is activated.

2. The talking doll of claim 1, further comprising a mode switch means for changing among said first, second and third modes of operation.

3. The talking doll of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a two arms, two legs and a body section.

4. The talking doll of claim 1, wherein each of said switches from within said plurality of switches is associated with a part of said human infant body of said housing;

and

wherein said first set of audible speech messages identify parts of said human infant body; and

wherein activation of each of said switches in said first mode causes a respective one of said audible speech messages identifying the part of said human infant body with which said switch is associated.

5. The talking doll of claim 1, wherein each of said switches from within said plurality of switches is associated with a part of said human infant body of said housing;

and

wherein said second set of audible speech messages concern functions involving parts of the human body; and

wherein activation of each of said switches in said second mode causes a respective one of said audible speech messages concerning the function of said human infant body with which said switch is associated.