Electronic toy and method of generating dual track sounds for the same

• US 6,183,337 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Design Lab, LLC
• Original Assignee: Design Lab, LLC
• Inventors: Murphy, John, Bradford, Kipp, Beckman, Ralph, Sharpe, Henry III, Schwartz, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): MUIR, DAVID N
• Application Number:
  US09/335,537
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 446/297-303, 369/63-65, 369/68
• 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

Abstract

A toy figure has a movable mouth coupled to an actuator in the belly area. A speech generator stores sound elements for an entire song, verse, or nursery rhyme. The speech generator is provided with a first track of sequenced sound elements (singing version) that form a song when sequentially generated, and a related second track of a like number of sequenced sound elements (humming version). Sound elements from the first and second tracks are interchangeable at any given point during sequential output thereof A switch located in the mouth is connected to the speech generator to provide input as to the mouth position, i.e. open or closed. Squeezing the belly of the figure opens the mouth, changing the state of the switch and initiating an output sequence from the speech generator. When the mouth is open, the child is able to easily control the mouth position by varying the pressure on the belly actuator. The speech generator checks the state of the mouth switch at given intervals. If the speech generator senses that the mouth is closed, the speech generator switches tracks to begin output of the next corresponding “humming” segment of the song. The speech generator continues to check the state of the switch, and if the switch is then reopened, the toy begins to sing again at the same point within the sequenced output.

Claims

1. A toy comprising:

a base unit including an electronic switch, said switch being situated by a user of the way during play; and

an electronic sound generator having a first electronic memory track comprised of sequenced, individually stored sound elements each of said sound elements of said first track being individually accessible by said sound generator, said first track of sequenced sound elements forming a recognizable sound recitation when sequentially generated, said electronic sound generator farther having a second electronic memory track comprised of a like number of sequenced individually stored sound elements, each of said sound elements of said second track being individually accessible by said sound generator, said second track of sequenced sound elements forming a recognizable sound recitation when sequentially generated, said second track being related to said first track such that individual sound elements from said first and second tracks are interchangeable at any given point during sequential output thereof, said sound generator being connected to said switch, said toy being operative wherein said sound generator checks the state of the switch and generates a sound element from said first track if said switch is in a first state or generates a sound element from said second track if said switch is in a second state, said sound generator repeatedly checking the state of the switch after a sound element is output and generating the next sequential sound element responsive to the state of the switch,

whereby the toy is operative for generating a sequential sound recitation that switches from a first track to a second track.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said base unit comprises a toy figure having a movable part which is movable responsive to actuation by a user, said switch being coupled to said part such that movement of said part between opposing positions actuates said switch.

3. A toy comprising:

a base unit including a switch, said switch being actuated by a user of the toy during play, said base unit comprising a toy figure having a movable mouth assembly which is movable between open and closed positions responsive to actuation by a user, said switch being actuated by movement of said mouth between said open and closed positions; and

a sound generator having a first track of sequenced sound elements stored therein, said first track of sequenced sound element forming a recognizable sound recitation when sequentially generated, said sound generator further having a second track of a like number of sequenced sound elements stored therein, said second track of sequenced sound elements forming a recognizable sound recitation when sequentially generated, said second track being related to said first track such that sound elements from said first and second tracks are interchangeable at any given point during sequential output thereof, said sound generator being connected to said switch, said toy being operative wherein said sound generator checks the state of the switch and generates a sound element from said first track if said switch is in a first state or generates a sound element from said second track if said switch is in a second state, said sound generator repeatedly checking the state of the switch after a sound element is output and generating the next sequential sound element responsive to the state of the switch,

whereby the toy is operative for generating a sequential sound recitation that switches from a first track to a second track.

4. The toy of claim 3 wherein said first track comprises singing sound elements of a song, and said second track comprises interchangeable humming sound elements of the same song.

5. The toy of claim 3 wherein said mouth assembly further comprises opposing mandible portions, said toy further comprising a lever assembly located within a body portion of the toy figure, said lever assembly including opposed lever portions which are coupled to the mandible portion of the mouth assembly, said opposing lever portions being movable between a normally open position wherein the mandible portions of the mouth assembly are in a normally closed position, and a closed position wherein the mandible portions of the mouth assembly are in an open position, whereby manually controlled squeezing of the body portion of the toy figure by a user causes corresponding opening and closing of the mouth to simulate the toy figure vocalizing.

6. The toy of claim 5 wherein said first track comprises singing sound elements of a song, and said second track comprises interchangeable humming sound elements of the same song.

7. A toy comprising:

a base unit including a switch, said switch being actuated by a user of the toy during play, said base unit comprising a toy figure having a movable part which is movable responsive to actuation by a user, said switch being coupled to said part such that movement of said part between opposing positions actuates said switch; and

a sound generator having a first track of sequenced sound elements stored therein, said first track of sequenced sound elements forming a recognizable sound recitation when sequentially generated, said first track comprising singing sound elements of a song, said sound generator further having a second track of a like number of sequenced sound elements stored therein, said second track of sequenced sound elements forming a recognizable sound recitation when generated, said second track being related to said first track such that sound elements from said first and second tracks are interchangeable at any given point during sequential output thereof, said second track comprising interchangeable music sound elements of the same song, said sound generator being connected to said switch, said toy being operative wherein said sound generator checks the state of the switch and generates a sound element from said first track if said switch is in a first state or generates a sound element from said second track if said switch is in a second state, said sound generator repeatedly checking the state of the switch after a sound element is output and generating the next sequential sound element responsive to the state of the switch,

whereby the toy is operative for generating a sequential sound recitation that switches from a first track to a second track.