Toy or educational device

• US 5,645,432 A
• Filed: 08/28/1995
• Issued: 07/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard Vernon Jessop
• Original Assignee: Richard Vernon Jessop
• Inventors: Jessop, Richard Vernon
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US08/507,493
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 434/308, 434/309, 434/317, 434/322
• US Class Current: 434/322
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00665 using inductance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0036 combined with a book or magazine
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2476 Speech or voice synthesisers, e.g. using a speech chip
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

A toy or educational device includes front and back covers, a spine, a plurality of pages, a plurality of pressure sensors mounted in the front and back covers and a sound generator connected to the pressure sensors. The pressure sensors are responsive to the application of pressure to an aligned location of a page overlying the corresponding cover for actuating the sound generator to generate sounds associated with both the location of the sensor which is depressed and the page to which pressure is applied.

Claims

1. A book or magazine comprising front and back covers, a spine and a plurality of pages carrying printing;

a pressure sensor located in at least one of the front and back covers, said pressure sensor sensing the application of pressure to the sensor when pressure is applied to a page overlying the corresponding cover at an area in alignment with the sensor;

and a sound generator connected to the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor being adapted to cause the sound generator to generate sounds associated with the position of the sensor and in dependence upon the page which is pressed.

3. A toy or educational device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sound generator is contained within a housing which is mounted in a cover of the book or mounted within the spine of the book.

4. A toy or educational device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sound generator is separated from the book, said device further comprising means for passing signals from the book to the sound generator.

5. A toy or educational device according to claim 4, wherein an electrical connection, including a plug and socket, extends between the book and the sound generator.

6. A toy or educational device according to claim 5, wherein the book is provided with means adapted to transmit signals in response to a finger touching a predetermined area on a page of the book to apply pressure to a pressure sensor aligned therewith, the sound generator being provided with means adapted to receive the signals.

7. A toy or educational device according to claim 6, wherein the signals are indicative of the area of the page that has been touched, the means adapted to transmit signals containing a memory storing signals appropriate to be passed to the sound generating when pressure is applied to a pressure sensor.

2. A book or magazine comprising front and back covers, a spine and a plurality of pages carrying printing, a plurality of pressure sensors carried on the book and mounted on at least one of the front and back covers of the book to sense when a finger touches a page overlying the corresponding cover at a location aligned with a sensor, and a sound generator connected to the sensors, the sensors being adapted to cause the sound generator to generate sounds associated with the positions of the sensor, and in dependence upon the page which is touched.