Interactive talking doll

• US 6,135,845 A
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ann Danielak Klimpert, Anne Pitrone, David Christianson, Dieter Herbstler, Randall Jon Klimpert
• Original Assignee: Ann Danielak Klimpert, Anne Pitrone, David Christianson, Dieter Herbstler, Randall Jon Klimpert
• Inventors: Klimpert, Randall Jon, Pitrone, Anne, Klimpert, Ann Danielak, Herbstler, Dieter, Christianson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/071,931
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 446/72, 446/268, 446/297, 446/298, 446/300, 446/301, 446/304, 446/337, 446/397
• US Class Current: 446/297
• 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

Abstract

A toy doll includes a body having an opening simulating a mouth and first and second electrical switches, each switch being disposed proximal to the simulated mouth and activatable by an object inserted at least partially into the mouth. A speaker is attached to the body. An electrical circuit including an integrated circuit chip is electrically connected with the switches and with the speaker. A base configured as a feeding tray is disposed externally of and is detachably connected with the body. The base has three external switches electrically connected with the circuit chip. The circuit chip has a plurality of memory registers, each register storing a separate signal corresponding to a separate audio message. The chip is configured to randomly select a prompt signal from the memory registers and to transmit the stored signal to the speaker. The prompt signal prompts the user to select a specified one of the switches. The chip is also configured to compare the selected switch with the specified switch. Further, the chip is configured to transmit a first message to the speaker when the specified switch is activated and a second message when a switch other than the specified switch is activated. The first message informs the user that the selection was correct and the second message informs the user that the selection was incorrect.

Claims

1. A toy doll interactive with a user, the doll comprising:

a body having an opening simulating a mouth;

two activatable electrical switches disposed proximal to the simulated mouth;

a speaker attached to the body; and

an electrical circuit electrically connected with the switches and with the speaker and configured to transmit a first signal to the speaker when one of the two switches is activated and a second signal to the speaker when the other of the two switches is activated, the circuit having an electronic memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to audio messages and is configured to randomly select one of the stored signals from the memory and transmit the signal to the speaker;

a first object insertable into the mouth and configured to activate one of the two switches; and

a second object insertable at least partially within the simulated mouth and configured to activate the other of the two switches;

one of the plurality of signals stored in the memory corresponds to an audio message prompting the user to insert the first object into the simulated mouth; and

another of the plurality of signals corresponds to an audio message prompting the user to insert the second object into the simulated mouth.

2. The toy doll as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit includes an integrated circuit chip.

3. The toy doll as recited as claim 2 wherein the integrated circuit chip has a plurality of memory registers, each register storing a separate signal corresponding to a separate audio message, and is configured to randomly select a stored signal and transmit the stored signal to the speaker.

4. The toy doll as recited in claim 2 wherein the circuit chip has a first input port electrically connectable with the first switch, a second input port electrically connectable with the second switch, and a plurality of memory registers, each register storing a separate signal corresponding to a separate audio message, and the chip is configured to select a first signal from the registers when the first switch is electrically connected with the first input port and a second signal from the registers when the second switch is electrically connected with the second input port.

5. A toy doll interactive with a user, the doll comprising:

a body having an opening simulating a mouth;

two activatable electrical switches disposed proximal to the simulated mouth;

a speaker attached to the body; and

an electrical circuit electrically connected with the switches and with the speaker and configured to transmit a first signal to the speaker when one of the two switches is activated and a second signal to the speaker when the other of the two switches is activated, the circuit being configured to transmit a third signal to the speaker, the third signal corresponding to an audio message prompting the user to activate a specified one of the two switches, the circuit being configured to retransmit the third signal when neither of the two switches is activated within a predetermined interval of time.

6. The toy doll as recited in claim 5 wherein the circuit has an electronic memory storing a plurality of signals, each signal corresponding to a separate audio message, and the prompt signal is randomly selected from the plurality of signals.

7. The toy doll as recited in claim 5 wherein:

the first signal corresponds to an audio message informing the user that the specified switch is activated; and

the second signal corresponds to an audio message informing the user that the other switch is activated.

8. A toy doll interactive with a user, the doll comprising:

a body having an opening simulating a mouth;

two activatable electrical switches disposed proximal to the simulated mouth;

a speaker attached to the body; and

an electrical circuit electrically connected with the switches and with the speaker and configured to transmit a first signal to the speaker when one of the two switches is activated and a second signal to the speaker when the other of the two switches is activated, the circuit being configured to transmit a third signal to the speaker, the third signal corresponding to an audio message prompting the user to activate a specified one of the two switches, the circuit being configured to compare an activated one of the two switches with the specified switch;

the first signal is transmitted to the speaker when the activated switch corresponds to the specified switch; and

the second signal is transmitted to the speaker when the activated switch is a switch other than the specified switch.

9. A toy doll interactive with a user, the doll comprising:

a body having an opening simulating a mouth;

two activatable electrical switches disposed proximal to the simulated mouth;

a speaker attached to the body; and

an electrical circuit electrically connected with the switches and with the speaker and configured to transmit a first signal to the speaker when one of the two switches is activated and a second signal to the speaker when the other of the two switches is activated,

a first object configured to activate one of the two switches when inserted at least partially within the simulated mouth; and

a second object configured to activate another one of the two switches when inserted at least partially within the simulated mouth.

10. The toy doll as recited in claim 9 further comprising a third object configured to activate both of the switches when inserted at least partially within the simulated mouth.

11. The toy doll as recited in claim 9 wherein the objects simulate one of a utensil and an item of food.

12. A toy doll interactive with a user, the doll comprising:

a body having an opening simulating a mouth;

two activatable electrical switches disposed proximal to the simulated mouth;

a speaker attached to the body; and

an electrical circuit electrically connected with the switches and with the speaker and configured to transmit a first signal to the speaker when one of the two switches is activated and a second signal to the speaker when the other of the two switches is activated,

a base disposed externally of and detachably connected with the torso and having an external switch electrically connected with the circuit.

13. The toy doll as recited in claim 12 wherein the base simulates a feeding tray and has a movable member simulating an item of food, the simulated item being configured to activate the external switch.

14. A toy doll comprising:

a body;

a base disposed externally of and detachably connected with the body and having an activatable electrical switch;

a speaker attached to one of the body and the base, the base simulating a feeding tray and having a movable member simulating an item of food, the simulated item being configured to activate the external switch; and

an electrical circuit connected with the switch and with the speaker and configured to transmit a signal to the speaker when the switch is activated.

15. The toy doll as recited in claim 14 wherein the circuit includes an integrated circuit chip.

16. The toy doll as recited in claim 14 wherein the base has another switch connected with the circuit and the circuit is configured to transmit another signal to the speaker when the other switch is activated.

17. A toy doll interactive with a user, the doll comprising:

a body;

a speaker connected with the body;

two activatable electrical switches connected with the body;

an electrical circuit connected with the two switches and the speaker and configured to;

transmit a first electrical signal to the speaker such that the speaker transmits an audio message prompting the user to activate a specified one of the two switches;

compare an activated one of the two switches with the specified switch; and

transmit a second signal to the speaker when the activated switch corresponds to the specified switch and a third signal to the speaker when the activated switch is one of the two switches other than the specified switch.

18. The toy doll as recited in claim 17 wherein the circuit has an electrical memory storing a plurality of signals, the first signal being randomly selected from the plurality of signals.

19. The toy doll as recited in claim 17 wherein:

the second signal corresponds to an audio message informing the user that the specified switch was activated; and

the third signal corresponds to an audio message informing the user that the switch other than the specified switch was activated.

20. The toy doll as recited in claim 17 wherein the circuit is configured to transmit a fourth signal to the speaker when the activated switch corresponds to the specified switch and to retransmit the first signal when the activated switch is the switch other than the specified switch.

21. The toy doll as recited in claim 20 wherein the fourth signal corresponds to an audio message prompting the user to activate another specified one of the switches.

22. The toy doll as recited in claim 17 wherein the circuit is configured to retransmit the first signal after the expiration of a predetermined time interval when neither of the two switches is activated.

23. The toy doll as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

a first object configured to activate one of the two switches; and

a second object configured to activate another of the two switches.