Interacting toys

• US 6,551,165 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yury V. Vladagin
• Original Assignee: Yury V. Vladagin
• Inventors: Smirnov, Alexander V
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jacob K.
• Application Number:
  US09/894,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20020000062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 446/297, 446/298, 446/397, 446/401, 446/405, 446/301, 446/300, 446/299, 463/1, 463/35, 463/39, 463/36, 463/40, 463/30, 463/31, 463/9, 434/308, 434/307.R
• US Class Current: 446/175
• 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

Each of interacting toys comprises a housing defining its form and outward appearance, means for transmitting messages with information about the first toy, means for receiving messages transmitted by the other toy with information about the second toy, means for reproducing reaction of the first toy to the second toy and to the user interaction, storage means containing data about reactions of the first toy to various other toys and to various user actions.

Each of interacting toys periodically sends messages about itself to another toy receives messages from it. If the first toy detects the presence of the second toy, it reacts to this fact for example by making a sound characterizing the reaction of the first toy to the second toy. The type of reaction and its intensity level depend on information received from the second toy. The seconds toy operates in the same way. Thus, the imitation of various relationships between toys and the variety of toys'"'"' behavior are provided.

Claims

1. Interacting toys consisting of at least a first toy and a second toy, each of which comprises a housing defining the shape and appearance of the toys;

wherein at least said second toy comprises transmitting means for transmitting at least one message with information describing said second toy therein; and

wherein at least said first toy comprises;

reproducing means for reproducing of responses of said first toy;

storage means for storing data providing reproduction of responses that imitate various emotional conditions of the character represented by said first toy;

message receiving means for receiving said at least one message; and

control means connected to said reproducing means, to said storage means and to said receiving means, being operative

to select said information describing said second toy from said at least one message,

in accordance with said information describing said second toy to determine at least one first number corresponding to a first emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy,

in accordance with said at least one first number to read from said storage means first data providing the reproduction of at least one first response imitating said first emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy, and

to transmit said first data to said reproducing means for reproduction of said at least one first response.

2. The interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said control means is operative after termination of receiving of messages transmitted by said second toy, at least once

to determine at least one second number corresponding to a second emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy,

in accordance with said at least one second number to read from said storage means second data providing the reproduction of at least one response imitating said second emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy, and

to transmit said second data to said reproducing means for reproducing of said at least one response.

3. The interacting toys of claim 2, wherein said second emotional condition is of the same type as said first emotional condition and has a lower intensity level than said first emotional condition.

4. The interacting toys of claim 1,

wherein at least said first toy further comprises at least one sensor for responding to external actions different from the message transmission by said second toy;

and

wherein said control means is connected with said at least one sensor being operative in reply to a signal from said at least one sensor

to determine at least one third number corresponding to a third emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy,

in accordance with said at least one third number to read from said storage means third data providing the reproduction of at least one second response imitating said third emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy, and

to transmit said third data to said reproducing means for reproduction of said at least one second response.

5. The interacting toys of claim 4, wherein said control means are operative after the termination of said external action

to determine at least one forth number corresponding to a forth emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy,

in accordance with said at least one forth number to read from said storage means forth data providing the reproduction of at least one response imitating said forth emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy, and

to transmit said forth data to said reproducing means for reproduction of s aid at least one response.

6. The interacting toys of claim 5, wherein said forth emotional condition is of the same type as said third emotional condition and has a lower intensity level than said third emotional condition.

7. The interacting toys of claim 4, wherein said at least one sensor is a touch sensor.

8. The interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means includes means of transmitting an optical signal, and wherein said receiving means includes means of reception of an optical signal.

9. The interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means includes a radio-transmitter;

and wherein said receiving means includes a radio receiver.

10. The interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said reproducing means includes sound reproducing means.

11. The interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said information describing said second toy contains at least

an identifier uniquely defining the character represented by said second toy, or

data describing appearance of said second toy, or

data describing an emotional condition of the character represented by said second toy.

12. The interacting toys of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means is operative to repeate the message transmission with a predetermined time interval.

13. A system of interacting toys consisting of at least two toys, each of which comprises:

a housing defining its shape and appearance;

reproducing means for reproducing of responses of the toy;

storage means for storing data that provides the reproducing of responses;

transmitting means for transmitting of at least one first message including data characterizing the character represented by said toy;

receiving means for receiving of at least one second message transmitted by another toy of said system of interacting toys; and

control means connected with said reproducing means, with said storage means and with said receiving means, being operative

to select from said second message data characterizing the character represented by said other toy,

according to said data characterizing the character represented by said other toy to read from said storage means data about at least one response, and

to transmit said data about said at least one response to said reproducing means for reproduction of said at least one response.

14. The system of interacting toys of claim 13, wherein said at least one response imitates an emotional condition of the character represented by said toy generated by meeting of the character represented by said other toy.

15. The system of interacting toys of claim 13, wherein said at least one response is an audible message.

16. A method of toys interaction comprising steps of:

providing of at least a first toy and a second toy, wherein at least said second toy comprises message transmitting means, and wherein at least said first toy comprises message receiving means, responses reproducing means, and storage means containing data about responses of said first toy, that imitate various emotional conditions of the character represented by said first toy;

transmitting by said second toy of at least one message;

receiving of said at least one message by said first toy;

determining according to said at least one message at least one first number corresponding to an emotional condition of the character represented by said first toy;

selecting in said storage means according with said at least one first number data about at least one response imitating said emotional condition;

reproducing of said at least one response by said reproducing means of said first toy.

17. The method of toys interaction of claim 16, wherein said at least one message contains at least

an identifier uniquely defining the character represented by said second toy, or

data describing appearance of said second toy, or

data describing an emotional condition of the character represented by said second toy.

18. The method of toys interaction of claim 16, wherein said selecting of data in said storage means is carried out according to at least one second number characterizing the individuality of the character represented by said first toy.

19. The method of toys interaction of claim 16, wherein said transmitting of at least one message by said second toy and said receiving of said at least one message by said first toy are repeated periodically.