Sound producing device stimulated by petting

• US 5,471,192 A
• Filed: 01/24/1994
• Issued: 11/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ampyx LLC
• Original Assignee: Glen Dash
• Inventors: Dash, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/186,014
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 340/689, 340/691, 340/692, 340/693, 340/384.3, 340/665, 340/323 R, 340/568, 340/571, 446/183, 446/184, 446/297, 446/298, 446/486, 446/302, 446/175, 446/353
• US Class Current: 340/384.3
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds

Abstract

A fanciful animal (12) which emits a purring sound when petted. A sensor, comprising an enclosure of a fanciful animal (18), pressure transducer (14) and cushion material (16) is arranged so as to permit at least a portion of said cushioning material to move freely over said pressure transducer when said enclosure is rubbed, producing an output signal of sufficient magnitude to be detected by an electronics assembly (20). The electronics assembly produces a waveform of predetermined form which when applied to a speaker (SP1) simulates a purr.

Claims

1. An amusement device comprising

a pressure transducer having an output, said pressure transducer generating an electrical resultant at said output of said pressure transducer in response to change of pressure on a surface of said pressure transducer;

a pliable covering having a hardness less than said pressure transducer, said pliable covering being mechanically coupled to said pressure transducer in such a manner as to allow for the movement of at least a portion of said pliable covering across said surface of said pressure transducer;

an enclosure containing said pliable covering arranged so as to transfer movement along a surface of said enclosure to said pliable covering thereby causing movement of at least said portion of said pliable covering across said surface of said pressure transducer;

a signal processing means including an amplifying valve, an input and an output, wherein said electronic resultant produced by said pressure transducer is connected to said input of said signal processing means and thereby multiplied in amplitude by a predetermined amount producing a processed resultant and presenting said processed resultant at said output of said signal processing means;

a threshold detection means including an input connected to said output of said signal processing means, and an output, wherein an electronic trigger of predetermined form is presented at said output of said threshold detection means when said processed resultant presented at said output of said signal processing means attains a predetermined form;

a retriggerable memory having an input and an output, said input of said memory connected to said output of said threshold detection means wherein an electronic resultant of said retriggerable memory is produced at said output of said retriggerable memory which is a function of past changes in said processed resultant presented at said output of said threshold detection means;

a sound generating means including an input and an output, said input being connected to said output of said retriggerable memory, said sound generating means producing electronic signals representative of sounds at said output of said sound generating means when said electronic resultant of said retriggerable memory attains a predetermined form;

an amplification means including an input and an output, said input being connected to said output of said sound generating means, said amplification means amplifying said electronic signals representative of sounds by a predetermined amount producing a waveform and presenting said waveform at said output of said amplification means;

an output sound transducer having an input, said input of said output sound transducer being connected to said output of said amplification means, said output sound transducer producing audible sounds when said waveform produced at said output of said amplification means attains a predetermined form.

2. Amusement device of claim 1 further including a loading means inserted at said output of said pressure transducer, said loading means having the characteristic of a predetermined impedance whereby the sensitivity of said pressure transducer can be varied by varying said impedance.

3. Amusement device of claim 1 wherein said retriggerable memory is comprised of a resistor and a capacitor with one lead of said resistor connected in common with one lead of said capacitor, thereby forming a three terminal device, wherein a first terminal consists of one end of said resistor, a second terminal consists of said connection in common between said resistor and said capacitor and a third terminal consists of an end of said capacitor not connected in common with said resistor, said first and third terminals being connected to the output of said threshold detection means whereby the voltage across said capacitor is a time averaged integration of voltage across said first and third terminals.

4. Amusement device of claim 1 wherein said audible sounds are that of a purring feline.

5. A process for simulating the sound of a purring feline comprising the steps of

impressing a first predetermined voltage across the terminals of a sound transducer, increasing said voltage asymptotically to a second predetermined voltage with a risetime of less than 0.1 second whereby a first rising waveform is produced, then

reducing said voltage asymptotically to a third predetermined voltage with a falltime greater than said risetime of said first rising waveform but less than 0.1 second, whereby a first falling waveform is produced, then

superimposing a damped ringing waveform on said first falling waveform, then

reducing said voltage asymptotically to a fourth predetermined voltage with a falltime substantially equal to said risetime of said first rising waveform, whereby a second falling waveform is produced, then

increasing said voltage asymptotically to a level substantially equal to said first predetermined voltage with a risetime substantially equal to the said falltime of said first falling waveform, whereby a second rising waveform is produced, then

superimposing a damped ringing waveform on said second rising waveform, then

repeating the aforementioned steps whereby a periodic signal is created with a total period of between 0.2 and 0.05 seconds, then

decreasing the amplitude of said first rising waveform, said first falling waveform, said second falling waveform and said second rising waveform by a predetermined amount after each period, whereby sound produced by said sound transducer is observed to fade over time.

6. A process for simulating the sound of a purring feline comprising the steps of

impressing a first predetermined voltage across the terminals of a sound transducer, decreasing said voltage asymptotically to a second predetermined voltage with a falltime of less than 0.1 second whereby a first falling waveform is produced, then

increasing said voltage asymptotically to a third predetermined voltage with a risetime greater than said falltime of said first falling voltage waveform but less than 0.1 second, whereby a first rising waveform is produced, then

superimposing a damped ringing waveform on said first rising waveform, then

increasing said voltage asymptotically to a fourth predetermined voltage with a risetime substantially equal to said falltime of said first falling waveform, whereby a second rising waveform is produced, then

decreasing said voltage asymptotically to a level substantially equal to said first predetermined voltage with a falltime substantially equal to the said risetime of said first rising waveform, whereby a second falling waveform is produced, then

superimposing a damped ringing waveform on said second falling waveform, then

repeating the aforementioned steps whereby a periodic signal is created with a total period of between 0.2 and 0.05 seconds, then

decreasing the amplitude of said first falling waveform, said first rising waveform, said second rising waveform and said second falling waveform by a predetermined amount after each period, whereby sound produced by said sound transducer is observed to fade over time.