Talking toy

• US 6,585,556 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yury V. Vladagin
• Original Assignee: Yury V. Vladagin
• Inventors: Smirnov, Alexander V
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US09/854,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/297, 446/298, 446/301, 446/397
• 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

A talking toy having audible message reproduction, a storage device for storing audible messages, at least on sensor of external activation, at least one environment sensor, an electronic clock, a message selecting device, and a storage device for storing parameters for choosing audible messages. The toy reproduces messages in response to an external activation of the sensor. An audible message is selected under the influence of parameters recorded in the storage device. These parameters characterize the personality represented by the toy. The selection of messages for reproduction depends on the type of external activation, environment conditions, such as temperature and the currant time of the day, as well as a random factor. The toy reflects the change in the mood of the character depending on the factors.

Claims

1. A talking toy comprising:

a housing determining the form and appearance of said talking toy;

sound reproducing means for audible message reproduction;

a plurality of external activation sensors;

first storage means for storing audible messages, wherein each of said audible messages has a number, and said number is arranged so that a change of said number in an audible message corresponds to a change of the mood of the character represented by said talking toy, where said mood is expressed through said audible message;

second storage means for storing at least one number for each of said plurality of external activation sensors, wherein said number characterizes the effect of an external activation detected by said external activation sensor on the mood of the character represented by said talking toy; and

message selection means, connected to said sound reproducing means, to said first storage means, to said second storage means, and to said plurality of external activation sensors and capable in respond to activating of at least one of said plurality of external activation sensors, for;

reading a first number corresponding to said at least one external activation sensor from said second storage means;

selecting a second number which is a random number;

determining the selected number of an audible message as a sum of said first and said second numbers; and

selecting an audible message from said first storage means in accordance with said selected number and forwarding said audible message to said sound reproducing means for audible message reproduction.

2. The talking toy of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one environment sensor able to form a signal characterizing the magnitude of an environment parameter measured by said environment sensor;

third storage means for storing numbers that are recorded and characterize the effect of said environment parameter on the mood of the character represented by said talking toy, and each of said number corresponds to an interval of magnitudes of said environment parameter;

wherein said message selection means are additionally connected to said at least one environment sensor and said third storage means and are further capable in accordance with the signal received from said at least one environment sensor to read a third number from said third storage means and determine said selected number as a sum of said first number, said second number, and said third number.

3. The talking toy of claim 2, wherein said at least one environment sensor is a temperature sensor.

4. The talking toy of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic clock connected to said message selection means; and

fourth storage means for storing numbers that are recorded that characterized the effect of the time of the day on the mood of the character represented by said talking toy, and each said number corresponds to an interval of the time of the day;

wherein said message selection means is additionally connected to said electronic clock and said fourth storage means and are further capable in accordance with time received from said electronic clock to read a fourth number from said fourth storage means and determine said selected number as a sum of said first number, said second number, and said fourth number.

5. The talking toy of claim 1, wherein at least two of said first storage means, at least two of said second storage means, at least two of said third storage means and, at least two of said fourth storage means are parts of a single integrated circuit.

6. A talking toy comprising:

a housing determining the form and appearance of said talking toy comprising;

sound reproducing means for audible messages reproduction;

at least one activation sensor; and

storage means for storing audible messages, wherein each of said audible messages has a number, and these numbers are arranged in accordance with changes in the mood expressed through audible messages of the character represented by said talking toy;

mode selection means for selecting at least one mode number characterizing the mood of the character represented by said talking toy;

message selection means connected to said sound reproducing means, to said storage means, to said mode selection means, and to said at least one activation sensor, for;

reading a first number from said mode selection means;

selecting a second number;

determining the selected number of an audible message as a sum of said first and second numbers; and

selecting an audible message from said storage means in accordance with said selected number and to forward said audible message to said sound reproducing means for audible message reproduction in response to activation of said at least one activation sensor.

7. The talking toy of claim 6, wherein said second number is a random number.

8. The talking toy of claim 6, wherein said mode selection means further comprises control means for changing said at least one mode number thereby changing the mood of the character represented by said talking toy.

9. The talking toy of claim 6, wherein said at least one activation sensor is selected from a mechanical sensor, and acoustic sensor, and optical sensor, and radio receiver.

10. The talking toy of claim 6, wherein said at least one activation sensor is a timer.

11. The talking toy of claim 6, wherein said selection parameters are numbers and said combination of selection parameters is the sum of these numbers.

12. A talking toy comprising:

a housing determining the form and appearance of said talking toy;

sound reproducing means for audible message reproduction;

a plurality of sensors;

storage means for storing of a plurality of audible messages, arranged in accordance with the mood expressed through said audible messages of the character represented by said talking toy; and

message selection means connected to said sound reproducing means, to said storage means, and to said plurality of sensors, for;

receiving data from at least two out of said plurality of sensors;

in accordance to said data to determine selection parameter;

characterizing the influence of said at least two sensors effects on the mood of the character represented by said talking toy; and

selecting from said storage means an audible message in accordance to a combination of said selection parameters and forwarding said audible message to said sound reproducing means for audible message reproduction in response to activation of at least one of said plurality of sensors.