Electronic educational toy appliance and a portable memory device therefor

• US 6,726,485 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tinkers & Chance
• Original Assignee: Tinkers & Chance
• Inventors: Marcus, Brian I., Heit, Warren S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US10/260,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 434/116, 434/118, 434/156, 434/159, 434/167, 434/169, 434/172, 434/178, 434/185, 434/188, 434/190, 434/191, 434/193, 434/201, 434/208, 434/209, 434/308, 434/309, 434/311, 434/321, 434/322, 434/335, 434/340, 434/351, 434/358, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/06 and being attachable to, or mounted on, the support
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/16 the elements each bearing a plurality of different symbols, signs, or combinations of symbols and signs, only one symbol, sign, or combination thereof, of each element to be used at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/36 the elements being connectible by corresponding projections and recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/00 Teaching hand-writing, shorthand, drawing, or painting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/025 with electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

An electronic toy appliance designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind using audio feedback, the toy comprising an object having a plurality of substantially planar sides adapted for manipulation by a child on a substantially flat surface so that a child may select different sides of the object to face upwardly. The appliance prompts the child with more difficult prompts depending on the child having provided correct previous responses.

Claims

1. An educational toy, comprising:

a multi-colored object, the object having a plurality of substantially planar sides, two or more of the sides having multiple symbols thereon, adapted for manipulation by a child on a substantially flat surface so that a child may select different sides of the object to face upwardly;

a speaker for producing an audible output;

one or more sensors capable of detecting orientation information of the block to allow determination of which of the plurality of substantially planar sides faces upwardly; and

a processor configured to generate a plurality of prompts to be audibly output to a user of the educational toy via the speaker and to generate positive audible feedback when the one or more sensors detect the object has been manipulated so the side with a symbol corresponding to a correct response to a prompt faces upwardly

wherein the processor generates more difficult prompts depending on the user having provided correct previous responses.

2. An educational toy as in claim 1, wherein the object is capable of being moved laterally by a child over the substantially flat surface.

3. An educational toy as in claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are capable of detecting orientation information of the object notwithstanding the lateral movement of the object over the substantially flat surface.

4. An educational toy comprising:

an object having a plurality of substantially planar sides adapted for manipulation by a child on a substantially flat surface so that a child may select different sides of the object to face upwardly;

a speaker for producing an audible output;

one or more sensors capable of detecting orientation information of the object to allow determination of which of the plurality of substantially planar sides faces upwardly; and

a processing unit configured to generate a plurality of prompts to be audibly output to a user of the educational toy via the speaker and to generate positive audible feedback when the one or more sensors detect the object has been manipulated so the side corresponding to a correct response to a prompt faces upwardly,

wherein the processor generates more difficult prompts depending on the user having provided correct previous responses.

5. An educational toy as in claim 4, wherein the object is a multi-colored cube with rounded edges, two or more of the sides having multiple symbols thereon.

6. An educational toy as in claim 4, wherein the symbols include letters, numbers and/or pictures.

7. An educational toy as in claim 4, wherein the object is capable of being moved laterally by a child over the substantially flat surface.

8. An educational toy as in claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors are capable of detecting orientation information of the object notwithstanding the lateral movement of the object over the substantially flat surface.