Sequence learning toy

• US 6,074,212 A
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mary Ann Cogliano
• Inventors: Cogliano, Mary Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Bena B.
• Application Number:
  US09/247,622
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 434/159, 434/169, 434/327, 434/337, 434/365, 446/297, 446/313, 446/368, 446/369, 446/143
• US Class Current: 434/159
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

An educational toy for teaching a child a sequence of letters, numbers, colors or other sequences. The toy would be provided with a plurality of segmented body portions, each of the body portions associated with a single indicia. A switch is provided on each of the segmented body portions. When this switch is depressed, an audio output associated with the indicia would be produced. After the child has memorized a series of indicia to produce a learned sequence, a switch associated with a segmented body portion having demarcation indicia would be depressed, allowing the entire sequence to be vocalized in order.

Claims

1. An educational toy, comprising:

a simulated animal figure provided with an elongated body provided with a plurality of segmented body parts extending in a substantially longitudinal direction from a front portion of said figure to an end portion of said figure;

a plurality of first switching devices connected to said plurality of segmented body parts each of said plurality of first switching devices extending from said segmented body parts in the form of an appendage;

a series of indicia representative of a historically recognizable sequence, each of said indicium of said series of indicia associated with one of said plurality of first switching devices and further wherein each of said first switching devices is connected to said elongated body in the vicinity of its respective indicium, and further wherein said series of indicia is arranged on the educational toy in said historically recognizable sequence beginning from said front portion of said figure;

a microprocessor provided with a memory, said microprocessor included within said simulated figure and connected to each of said plurality of first switching device;

a voice synthesizer provided within said simulated figure and connected to said microprocessor, said voice synthesizer producing a sound associated with each of said indicium when said switch associated with its respective indicium is engaged; and

a speaker connected to said voice synthesizer.

2. The toy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said simulated figure is a caterpillar.

3. The toy in accordance with claim 1, wherein the outer surface of said simulative figure is constructed from plush material.

4. The toy in accordance with claim 1, wherein said historically recognizable sequence is the alphabet.

5. The toy in accordance with claim 1, further including at least one second switching device connected to one of said segmented body parts, said second switching device connected to said microprocessor, wherein each of said members of said historically recognizable sequence is individually vocalized in said historically recognizable sequence by said voice synthesizer when said second switching device is engaged.

6. The toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein said simulated figure is a caterpillar.

7. The toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein said simulated figure includes a head segment and a movement device connected to said microprocessor, said movement device initiating movement of said head when said second switching device is engaged.

8. The toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein the outer surface of said simulative figure is constructed from plush material.

9. The toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein said historically recognizable sequence is the alphabet.

10. The toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of segmented body parts is provided with either one of said first switching devices or one of said second switching devices.

11. The toy in accordance with claim 5, wherein said series of indicia is subdivided into at least two subseries of said historically recognizable sequences, each of said subseries separated from one another by said second switching device, and further including a demarcation indicia associated with each of said second switching devices, wherein at least one of said subseries of said historically recognizable sequence is utilized by said voice synthesizer when said second switching device is engaged, to individually vocalize the members of at least one of said subseries of said historically recognizable sequence in said historically recognizable sequence.

12. The toy in accordance with claim 11, wherein said simulated figure includes a head segment and a movement device connected to said microprocessor, said movement device initiating movement of said head when said second switching device is engaged.

13. The toy in accordance with claim 11, wherein said historically recognizable sequence is the alphabet.

14. The toy in accordance with claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of segmented body parts is provided with either one of said first switching devices or one of said second switching devices.