Electronic toy and control method therefor

• US 7,025,657 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Nishimoto, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ashley, Boyer D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDELWAHED, ALI F
• Application Number:
  US10/013,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 446/484, 446/175, 446/297, 446/353
• US Class Current: 446/484
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

Electronic toy receives control information via an input interface and stores the received control information in memory. The electronic toy includes at least one sensor for detecting an external stimulus applied to the toy, and control information is read out from the memory in response to an external stimulus detection signal generated by the sensor so that the electronic toy is controlled to perform a predetermined operation in accordance with the read-out control information. It is possible to readily renew operations that can be performed by the electronic toy, by, for example, downloading desired control information from a server via a communication line and then storing the desired control information in an internal memory of the toy.

Claims

1. An electronic toy comprising:

at least one sensor that detects an external stimulus applied to said electronic toy;

an input interface that receives, from outside said electronic toy, control information for controlling said electronic toy;

a memory that stores the control information received via said input interface; and

a processor coupled with said memory and adapted to;

read out control information from said memory, in response to an external stimulus detection signal generated by said sensor; and

control said electronic toy to perform a predetermined operation in accordance with the control information read out from said memory,

wherein said control information received from outside said electronic toy and stored in said memory includes a program for causing said electronic toy to perform a predetermined operation, and

wherein the program stored in said memory is selectively read out from said memory in accordance with a type of external stimulus detected by said sensor,

wherein said processor is further adapted to generate an accumulative empirical value on the basis of the external stimulus detection signal generated by said sensor and read out control information from said memory in accordance with the empirical value, and

wherein said input interface further receives, from outside said electronic toy, first instructing information that the received control information should be additionally stored in said memory.

2. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein said input interface comprises a communication interface having a communication function.

3. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 2 wherein said communication interface is connected to an external communication terminal so as to receive control information via the external communication terminal.

4. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a sound generating mechanism, and the predetermined operation performed by said electronic toy is to audibly produce predetermined words, musical sound or effect sound via said sound generating mechanism.

5. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a moving mechanism, and the predetermined operation performed by said electronic toy is to make a motion via said moving mechanism in accordance with the control information.

6. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises a sound generating mechanism and a moving mechanism, and the predetermined operation performed by said electronic toy is to audibly produce predetermined words, musical sound or effect sound via said sound generating mechanism and make a motion corresponding to the words or sound via said moving mechanism.

7. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the program includes information representative of predetermined words, musical sound or effect sound to be audibly produced.

8. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 7 wherein the program includes a control program for causing said electronic toy to make successive motions.

9. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the empirical value is accumulated for each type of the external stimulus detection signal, and control information is read out from said memory for each type of the empirical value or in accordance with a combination of types of the empirical value.

10. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein said input interface further receives, from outside said electronic toy, second instructing information for instructing that predetermined control information having been stored in said memory should be replaced with the received control information.

11. An electronic toy as claimed in claim 3 wherein said external communication terminal is a mobile communication terminal.

12. A method for controlling an electronic toy, said electronic toy including at least one sensor that detects an external stimulus applied to said electronic toy, an input interface that receives, from outside said electronic toy, control information for controlling said electronic toy, and a memory that stores the control information received via said input interface, said method comprising:

a step of reading out control information from said memory, in response to an external stimulus detection signal generated by said sensor; and

a step of controlling said electronic toy to perform a predetermined operation in accordance with the control information read out from said memory,

wherein said control information received from outside said electronic toy and stored in said memory includes a program for causing said electronic toy to perform a predetermined operation, and

wherein the program stored in said memory is selectively read out from said memory in accordance with a type of the external stimulus detected by said sensor,

wherein said method further comprises the steps of generating an accumulative empirical value on the basis of the external stimulus detection signal generated by said sensor and reading out control information from said memory in accordance with the empirical value, and

wherein said input interface further receives, from outside said electronic toy, instructing information that the received control information should be additionally stored in said memory.

13. A computer program comprising computer program code means for performing all the steps of claim 12 when said program is run on a computer or processor provided in said electronic toy.