Video and radio controlled moving and talking device

• US 5,655,945 A
• Filed: 09/28/1995
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jani, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US08/535,785
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 446/297-303, 446/175, 446/353, 446/354, 446/356, 446/357, 434/307, 434/308, 434/321, 360/79, 358/335, 40/414
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/00 Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/48 Mounting of parts within dolls, e.g. automatic eyes or parts for animation self-moving A63H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/42 Recording and playback systems, i.e. in which the programme is recorded from a cycle of operations, e.g. the cycle of operations being manually controlled, after which this record is played back on the same machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36487 Record position, motion and sound
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45069 Computer controlled automata, doll
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/066 Sailing; Surfing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/06 combined with other apparatus having a different main function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A video and radio controlled remote device control system including at least one moving and talking remote device is presented. Standard video tapes used .in cameras or to home record TV programs have unused space on which data can be stored. This space may be called the vertical interval space. Appropriate digital control data is recorded in this unused vertical interval space. The encoded signal is played when the tape plays and is detected by a control box coupled between the VCR and the television. The control box generates an RF (radio) signal as a function of the encoded signal. A radio receiver in at least one, and possibly substantially more than one device receives the signal and as a function thereof generates selected voice and/or other sounds and mechanical control signals. Each device has a plurality of motors. Selected motors are controlled as a function of response to the transmitted signals. One practical example of a combination of the devices could be small characters singing, dancing or moving in concert with and controlled by a video tape of a child'"'"'s movie.

Claims

1. A remote control animated doll system comprising in combination:

at least one animated toy;

a magnetic storage medium having an audio/visual program recorded thereon and embedded movement data and sound data recorded within said audio/visual program, said embedded movement data and sound data corresponding to sound control signals and movement control signals for said at least one animated toy;

playback means, having a playback output, for said magnetic storage medium for reproducing said audio/visual program and for providing said movement data and sound data at said playback output;

first decoder means, having a decoder output, connected to said playback output for providing said sound control signals and said movement control signals at said decoder output in response to said movement data and said sound data;

a first wireless transmitter connected to said decoder output for transmitting said sound control signals and said movement control signals to said at least one animated toy;

said animated toy comprising a first receiver for receiving sound control signals and movement control signals, a sound generating device, a second decoder means connected to said first receiver for providing said sound control signals to said sound generating device and for providing said movement control signals to a muscle equivalent system for causing movement of said animated toy;

a microphone;

a second wireless transmitter means connected to said microphone for transmitting speech signals in response to signals generated by said microphone;

second receiver means for receiving said transmitted speech signals and providing demodulated speech signals at a second receiver output;

speech recognition means having a speech recognition input connected to said second receiver means and an output connected to said first wireless transmitter means for providing preselected ones of said sound control signals and said movement control signals to said first wireless transmitter means in response to detection of predetermined patterns in said demodulated speech signals.