Doll set with unidirectional infrared communication for simulating conversation

• US 6,110,000 A
• Filed: 02/10/1998
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sound N Light Animatronics Co. Ltd., Sound N Light Animatronics Company, T L Products Promoting Company Limited
• Original Assignee: T L Products Promoting Company Limited
• Inventors: Ting, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Muir, D. Neal
• Application Number:
  US09/021,238
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/297, 446/298, 446/299, 446/302, 446/303, 446/485
• US Class Current: 446/302
• 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 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A child'"'"'s toy having a wireless transmission unit mounted in a first object, such as a doll, and a receiver unit mounted in a second object, such as another doll. The transmission unit includes a first integrated circuit (IC) for producing at least one of an audible sound and movement of a portion of the first object and an infrared transmission circuit for transmitting an infrared signal at the completion of the action. A receiving unit mounted in the second object includes a receiving circuit for receiving the infrared signal. The receiving unit also includes a second IC for producing at least one of an audible sound and movement of a portion of the second object in response to the infrared signal, thus simulating an interaction, such as a conversation, between the first object and the second object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for simulating a responsive interaction between first and second objects, comprising:

a first circuit mounted in the first object and operable for effecting a first action comprising one of reproducing a sound from and performing a movement by the first object;

a unidirectional wireless communication circuit comprising a transmitter circuit operatively connected to said first circuit for transmitting a signal from the first object to the second object after completion of said first action, said signal indicating a second action to be effected by the second doll in response to said first action by the first doll;

said unidirectional wireless communication circuit further comprising a receiving circuit mounted in the second object for receiving said transmitted signal; and

a second circuit operatively connected to said receiving circuit for effecting said second action comprising one of reproducing a responsive sound and performing a responsive movement in response to said received signal and in simulated response to said first action by the first object, said first circuit further operable for remaining idle for a duration of time after completion of said first action and effecting a third action comprising one of reproducing a sound from and performing a movement by said first object after said duration of time has run in simulated response to said second action by said second object to thereby simulate a responsive interaction between the first object and the second object, said duration of time being based on a length of time required for said second action indicated by said signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch mounted on the first object for external operation and operatively connected to said first circuit for initiating said one of reproducing a sound and performing an action by the first object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transmission circuit comprises an emitting diode and said transmitted signal comprises an infrared signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said receiver circuit comprises a photodetector.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first circuit comprises an audio circuit for audibly reproducing a sound.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises an audio circuit for audibly reproducing a sound.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first circuit comprises one of a motor and a light operable for performing an action;

and wherein said action comprises one of moving a portion of the first object and illuminating a portion of the first object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises one of a motor and a light operable for performing an action;

and wherein said action comprises one of moving a portion of the second object and illuminating a portion of the second object.

9. An apparatus for simulating an interaction between two objects, comprising:

a first memory device in a first object of the two objects encoded with a plurality of transmission signals and a plurality of coded signals corresponding to said plurality of transmission signals;

a first circuit operatively connected to said memory device for selectively retrieving one of said plurality of transmission signals and for effecting a first action comprising one of reproducing a sound and performing a movement by the first object in response to the retrieved said one of said plurality of transmission signals;

a unidirectional wireless communication circuit comprising a transmitter circuit operatively connected to said first circuit and said first memory device for transmitting a predetermined one of said plural code signals corresponding to the retrieved one of said plurality of transmission signals after the first action by the first object is completed, said predetermined one of said plural code signals indicating a second action to be effected by the second doll in response to the first action by the first doll;

a receiving circuit mounted in said second object for receiving the transmitted predetermined one of the code signals; and

a second circuit operatively connected to the receiving circuit for effecting the second action comprising one of reproducing a responsive sound and performing a responsive movement in response to said transmitted and received code signal and in simulated response to said one of reproducing a sound and performing an action by the first object, said first circuit further operable for remaining idle for a duration of time after completion of said transmitting a signal by said wireless transmission circuit and retrieving a predetermined second one of said plurality of transmission signals corresponding to said predetermined one of said plural code signals and effecting a third action comprising one of reproducing a sound from and performing a movement by said first object after said duration of time has run in simulated response to said second action by said second object to thereby simulate an interaction between the first object and the second object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a switch mounted on the first object for external operation and operatively connected to said first circuit for initiating the retrieval of said one of said plural transmission signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said transmission circuit comprises an emitting diode and said transmitted signal comprises an infrared signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said receiver circuit comprises a photodetector.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said transmission circuit comprises a carrier frequency modulator operable for transmitting said predetermined one of said plural code signals at a carrier frequency.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said carrier frequency is in the range of approximately 35 kHz-40 kHz.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of said plural code signals comprises a header bit and two identical groups of data.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said second circuit comprises a second memory device encoded with plurality of response signals;

and wherein each said coded signal comprises data representing a location in said second memory device of a corresponding one of said plural response signals that corresponds to one of said plural transmission signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first circuit comprises an audio circuit for audibly reproducing a sound.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said second circuit comprises an audio circuit for audibly reproducing a sound.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first circuit comprises one of a motor and a light for performing an action;

and wherein said action comprises one of moving a portion of the first object and illuminating a portion of the first object.

20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said second circuit comprises one of a motor and a light for performing an action;

and wherein said action comprises at least one of moving a portion of the second object and illuminating a portion of the second object.

21. A method of simulating an interaction between a first object, a first doll and a second object, second doll comprising the steps of:

operating a first circuit in the first object to effect a first action of the interaction in the first object, wherein said first action comprises one of audibly reproducing a sound and moving a portion of the first object;

transmitting an infrared signal from said first circuit after completion of the first action, the signal indicating a second action of the interaction to be effected by the second doll in response to the first action by the first doll;

receiving the infrared signal at a receiver circuit in the second object;

operating a second circuit in the second object in response to the received infrared signals to effect the second action by the second object of the interaction, wherein the second action comprises one of audibly reproducing a sound and moving a portion of the second object in simulated response to the first action;

initiating a silence interval in the first circuit of the first object after said step of transmitting an infrared signal, the silence interval having a duration of time based on a length of time required for completion of the second action indicated by the transmitted signal to thereby provide a sufficient time period for allowing completion of said second action by said second circuit, and wherein said first circuit is idle for the duration of time of the silence interval; and

operating said first circuit in the first object to effect a third action in the first object of said simulated interaction after the silence interval has run in simulated response to said second action of said second object, wherein said third action comprises one of audibly reproducing a sound and moving a portion of the first object.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of transmitting an infrared signal comprises:

transmitting a header bit;

transmitting a first data group; and

transmitting a second data group identical to said first data group.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said step of receiving said infrared signal comprises comparing said first data group to said second data group.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of operating a second circuit comprises operating the second circuit in the second object in response to the received infrared signals to effect a second action by the second object when said first data group matches said second data group in said step of comparing;

and

not operating the second circuit in response to the received infrared signals when said first data group does not match the second data group.