Interactive teaching toy

• US 6,882,824 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wood, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US10/230,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20030059757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 434/308, 434/322, 434/335, 434/169, 434/327, 434/393, 446/143, 446/268, 446/297, 446/302, 446/369, 446/368, 446/397
• US Class Current: 434/308
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/025 with electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to educational toys. In one embodiment, the educational toy includes (a) a figure having an exterior surface, and wherein the figure has a chest, hands and feet, (b) at least one indicium on the chest of the figure, (c) switching circuitry coupled to the indicia, (d) a sound synthesizer, (e) a speaker, (f) a memory, (g) a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities in the memory, wherein the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities comprises a first preprogrammed instruction modality and a second preprogrammed instruction modality, and (h) a logic circuit having a microprocessor, input terminals that are electrically coupled to the switching circuitry, and output terminals electrically coupled to the sound synthesizer and the speaker. The logic circuit controls the interaction between the switching circuitry and the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities.

Claims

1. An educational toy comprising:

(a) a figure having an exterior surface, and wherein the figure has a head and a chest;

(b) at least one indicium on the chest of the figure;

(c) switching circuitry coupled to the at least one indicium;

(d) a sound synthesizer;

(e) a speaker;

(f) a memory;

(g) a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities in the memory, wherein the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities comprises a first preprogrammed instruction modality that comprises quizzing and a second preprogrammed instruction modality comprising declaratory instruction; and

(h) a logic circuit having a microprocessor, input terminals that are electrically coupled to the switching circuitry, and output terminals electrically coupled to the sound synthesizer and the speaker,

wherein the logic circuit controls interaction between the switching circuitry and the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities.

2. The educational toy of claim 1 wherein the at least one indicium comprises the letters A-Z.

3. The educational toy of claim 1 wherein the at least one indicium comprises the numbers 1-9.

4. The educational toy of claim 1 wherein the at least one indicium comprises the letters A-Z and wherein the letters A-Z comprise at least three different colors.

5. The educational toy of claim 1 further comprising a third preprogrammed instruction modality that comprises songs.

6. The educational toy of claim 1 wherein the figure comprises hands, and the at least one indicium comprises letters on the chest and numbers on the hands.

7. The educational toy of claim 1 wherein the figure includes a recess for receiving a transferable information storage medium that is received in the recess.

8. The toy of claim 1 wherein the toy comprises a plurality of lights on the chest.

9. The toy of claim 1 wherein the figure is plush.

10. The toy of claim 1 wherein the figure is in the form of an animal.

11. The toy of claim 1 wherein the first preprogrammed instruction modality includes asking a child to find a letter.

12. The toy of claim 1 wherein the second preprogrammed instruction modality includes telling a child a name of a letter.

13. A system comprising:

(a) an educational toy comprising;

i) a figure having an exterior surface, and wherein the figure has a chest, hands and feet,

ii) indicia on the chest of the figure,

iii) switching circuitry coupled to the indicia,

iv) a sound synthesizer,

v) a speaker,

vi) a memory,

vii) a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities in the memory, wherein the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities comprises a first preprogrammed instruction modality that comprises quizzing and a second preprogrammed instruction a modality, and

viii) a logic circuit having a microprocessor, input terminals that are electrically coupled to the switching circuitry, and output terminals electrically coupled to the sound synthesizer and the speaker,

wherein the logic circuit controls interaction between the switching circuitry and the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities, and

ix) a recess; and

(b) a transferable information storage medium that is insertable in the recess.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a linker device that is adapted to receive the transferable information storage medium.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a book that is to be used with the educational toy.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein pages in the book have indicia corresponding to the indicia on the figure.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the indicia comprise the letters of the alphabet, and wherein the book has one letter of the alphabet on, each page of the book, and wherein when a letter of the alphabet on the figure is pressed, the educational toy provides an audio interpretation of printed matter on the page with the letter.

18. A system comprising:

(a) an educational toy comprising;

i) a figure having an exterior surface,

ii) indicia on the exterior surface of the figure,

iii) switching circuitry coupled to the indicia,

iv) a sound synthesizer,

v) a speaker,

vi) a memory,

vii) a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities in the memory, wherein the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities comprises a first preprogrammed instruction modality that comprises quizzing and a second preprogrammed instruction modality, and

viii) a logic circuit having a microprocessor, input terminals that are electrically coupled to the switching circuitry, and output terminals electrically coupled to the sound synthesizer and the speaker,

wherein the logic circuit controls interaction between the switching circuitry and the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities; and

(b) an information storage medium containing code for changing outputs provided by the toy, wherein the code is received from a server computer via the Internet.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the figure is plush.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the figure is in the form of an animal with hands and feet and is plush.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the information storage medium is a cartridge.

22. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a linker device adapted to receive the information storage medium.

23. The system of claim 18 further comprising a book to be used with the educational toy.

24. The system of claim 18 further comprising a book to be used with the educational toy and a linker device adapted to receive the information storage medium.

25. An educational toy comprising:

(a) a figure having an exterior surface, and wherein the figure has a head and a chest;

(b) at least one indicium on the chest of the figure;

(c) a sound synthesizer;

(d) a speaker;

(e) a memory;

(f) a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities in the memory, wherein the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities comprises a first preprogrammed instruction modality that comprises quizzing and a second preprogrammed instruction modality comprising declaratory instruction; and

(g) a logic circuit having a microprocessor electrically coupled to the at least one indicium, and output terminals electrically coupled to the sound synthesizer and the speaker.

26. The toy of claim 25 wherein the first preprogrammed instruction modality includes asking a child to find a letter.

27. The toy of claim 25 wherein the at least one indicium comprises a circle.

28. The toy of claim 25 wherein the second preprogrammed instruction modality teaches a child the names of letters and their sounds.

29. The toy of claim 25 further comprising lights on the chest.

30. An educational toy comprising:

(a) a figure having an exterior surface, and wherein the figure has a head and a chest;

(b) at least one indicium on the chest of the figure;

(c) a sound synthesizer;

(d) a speaker;

(e) a memory;

(f) a plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities in the memory, wherein the plurality of preprogrammed instruction modalities comprises a first preprogrammed instruction modality that comprises quizzing and a second preprogrammed instruction modality comprising a song; and

(g) a logic circuit having a microprocessor electrically coupled to the at least one indicium, and output terminals electrically coupled to the sound synthesizer and the speaker.

31. The toy of claim 30 wherein the first preprogrammed instruction modality includes asking a child to find a letter.

32. The toy of claim 30 wherein the at least one indicium comprises a circle.

33. The toy of claim 30 further comprising a third preprogrammed modality in the memory comprising a game.

34. The toy of claim 30 wherein the at least one indicium comprises a circle.

35. The toy of claim 30 further comprising lights on the chest.