Electronic toy, control method thereof, and storage medium

• US 7,442,107 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sega Toys Co., Ltd (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sega Toys Co., Ltd (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Ueda, Mie, Onishi, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US09/698,676
• Time in Patent Office: 2,924 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446376-377, 700/245, 700/253
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/20 with pairs of legs, e.g. horses
• 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

An electronic toy has a head, a body and legs. A display that displays the expression of the eyes is provided to the front of the head, and a speaker and a detection switch that detects the pressing of such speaker are provided on the upper face of the head. A sound sensor and light sensors are housed inside a nose. Ears are rotatably provided on both sides of the head, and a lower jaw capable of being opened/closed is provided below the nose. A tail is provided to the rear of the body. A controller housed in the nose controls the posture, outcry, melody, expression of the eyes, etc. from the communication biorhythm and pet biorhythm prepared in accordance with the way a user contacts the toy through sensory input indicated with detection signals from the sound sensors, infrared sensors, feeding indications, light sensors, and the like.

Claims

1. An electronic toy capable of controlling motions arbitrarily in accordance with external inputs, comprising:

a head housing a drive motor and a transmission mechanism for transmitting rotational driving force to said drive motor;

a display provided to the front of said head for displaying the shape of the eyes;

first detection means provided on the top of said head for detecting the pressing thereof;

second detection means for detecting sound;

third detection means for detecting the peripheral brightness;

initialization means for setting the initial mode for a period after the power is turned on until a prescribed time elapses;

fourth detection means for detecting external inputs;

a plurality of counters for counting the number of detections from the first, second, third and fourth detection means while the initial mode is being set by said initialization means;

individual difference setting means for setting individual differences in accordance with the detection means having the highest count value among the respective count values of said plurality of counters;

a body housing a cam mechanism for transmitting rotational driving force to said drive motor via said transmission mechanism;

legs driven by said can mechanism;

a lower jaw driven by said transmission mechanism;

ears driven by said transmission mechanism;

storage means for storing the respective motion patterns of said legs, lower jaw, and ears; and

a controller for selecting an arbitrary motion pattern among the plurality of motion patterns stored in said storage means in accordance with the timing of detection signals output from said first to third detection means, and controlling said drive motor and the display pattern of said display in accordance with the selected motion pattern.

2. An electronic toy according to claim 1, wherein said individual difference setting means sets individual differences pursuant to whether the count value of said counter is an odd or even number.

3. An electronic toy according to claim 1, wherein said individual difference setting means sets the gender in accordance with the count value of said counter, and changes at least one among the expression of the eyes, sound, or motion corresponding to said set gender.

4. An electronic toy, comprising:

a body member having a head-shaped member disposed at an upper part of said body member and leg-shaped members movably disposed at lower parts of said body member, said head-shaped member being formed with a display disposed at a face portion of said head-shaped member, ear-shaped members movably coupled to said head-shaped member and a lower jaw-shaped member movably coupled to said head-shaped member;

a driving mechanism having a drive motor, a transmission mechanism functionally coupled to said drive motor so as to transmit a rotational driving force from said drive motor, and a cam mechanism driven by the rotational driving force transmitted from said transmission mechanism, wherein said ear-shaped members and said lower jaw-shaped member are driven by said transmission mechanism, wherein said leg-shaped members are driven by said cam mechanism;

storage means that stores data indicative of a plurality of motion patterns of said leg shaped members, said lower jaw-shaped member and said ear-shaped members, and data indicative of a plurality of eye expression patterns;

a plurality of sensors including a touch detection sensor disposed on a top of said head-shaped member so as to detect a touching action by a user, a sound detection sensor disposed so as to detect a sound made by the user, and an optical detection sensor disposed so as to detect a peripheral brightness;

a controller electrically coupled to said plurality of detection sensors, said drive motor and said display, wherein said controller selects a motion pattern among said plurality of motion patterns and an eye expression pattern among said plurality of eye expression patterns in accordance with a timing of detection signals received from said detection sensors, and controls said drive motor and said display in accordance with the selected motion and eye expression patterns;

initialization means that sets an initial mode when the power is turned on;

a plurality of counters that respectively count the number of detections on said plurality of sensors while the initial mode is being set by said initialization means; and

character setting means that sets the character of the toy in accordance with the highest count value among the respective count numbers of said plurality of counters.

5. An electronic toy comprising:

a body member having a head-shaped member disposed at an upper part of said body member and leg-shaped members movably disposed at lower parts of said body member, said head-shaped member being formed with a display disposed at a face portion of said head-shaped member, car-shaped members movably coupled to said head-shaped member and a lower jaw-shaped member movably coupled to said head-shaped member;

a driving mechanism having a drive motor, a transmission mechanism functionally coupled to said drive motor so as to transmit a rotational driving force from said drive motor, and a cam mechanism driven by the rotational driving force transmitted from said transmission mechanism, wherein said ear-shaped members and said lower jaw-shaped member are driven by said transmission mechanism, wherein said leg-shaped members are driven by said cam mechanism;

storage means that stores data indicative of a plurality of motion patterns of said leg shaped members, said lower jaw-shaped member and said ear-shaped members, and data indicative of a plurality of eye expression patterns;

sensor means that detects external inputs;

a controller electrically coupled to said sensor means, said drive motor and said display, wherein said controller selects a motion pattern among said plurality of motion patterns and an eye expression pattern among said plurality of eye expression patterns in accordance with a timing of detection signals received from said sensor means, and controls said drive motor and said display in accordance with the selected motion and eye expression patterns;

initialization means that sets an initial mode when the power is turned on;

a counter that counts the number of detections on said sensor means while the initial mode is being set by said initialization means; and

character setting means that sets the character of the toy pursuant to whether the count number of said counter is an odd or even number.

6. An electronic toy comprising:

a body member having a head-shaped member disposed at an upper part of said body member and leg-shaped members movably disposed at lower parts of said body member, said head-shaped member being formed with a display disposed at a face portion of said head-shaped member, ear-shaped members movably coupled to said head-shaped member and a lower jaw-shaped member movably coupled to said head-shaped member;

a driving mechanism having a drive motor, a transmission mechanism functionally coupled to said drive motor so as to transmit a rotational driving force from said drive motor, and a cam mechanism driven by the rotational driving force transmitted from said transmission mechanism, wherein said ear-shaped members and said lower jaw-shaped member are driven by said transmission mechanism, wherein said leg-shaped members are driven by said cam mechanism;

storage means that stores data indicative of a plurality of motion patterns of said leg shaped members, said lower jaw-shaped member and said ear-shaped members, and data indicative of a plurality of eye expression patterns;

sensor means that detects external inputs;

a controller electrically coupled to said sensor means, said drive motor and said display, wherein said controller selects a motion pattern among said plurality of motion patterns and an eye expression pattern among said plurality of eye expression patterns in accordance with a timing of detection signals received from said sensor means, and controls said drive motor and said display in accordance with the selected motion and eye expression patterns;

initialization means that sets an initial mode when the power is turned on;

a counter that counts the number of detections on said sensor means while the initial mode is being set by said initialization means; and

character setting means that sets the gender in accordance with the count number of said counter, and changes at least one among the expression of the eyes, sound, or motion corresponding to said set gender.

7. An electronic toy capable of controlling motions arbitrarily in accordance with external inputs, comprising:

a selection switch for selecting between a character standard mode for performing motions of a standard specification character and a character rearing mode for rearing a character;

a memory for storing an initial setting for said character standard mode or said character rearing mode in accordance with the operation of said selection switch, wherein said character rearing mode is set by an initial setting of said memory for;

an immature period where said controlling data is not renewed at prescribed time intervals;

a rearing period where controlling data is renewed to emotion data with a level of control in accordance with the external inputs during a prescribed period of time; and

a completion-of-rearing period where motions are controlled in accordance with emotion data with a level of control renewed during said rearing period; and

a programmable controller responsive to said memory for performing motions in said character standard mode or said character rearing mode in accordance with the operation of said initial setting means.

8. An electronic toy according to claim 7, wherein said character standard mode is set by an initial setting associated with said memory, said programmable controller controlling motions on the basis of data of said standard mode.

9. An electronic toy according to claim 8, wherein said character rearing mode is set by an initial setting associated with said memory, the controlling data being renewed to provide emotion data with a level of control in accordance with the external inputs during a prescribed period of time, and motions controlled pursuant to said renewed emotion data.

10. An electronic toy capable of controlling motions in accordance with external inputs, comprising:

a character mode selection switch;

initial setting means which, in response to an operation on said character mode selection switch, selects a character mode for the toy from a character standard mode for performing motions of a standard specification character and a character rearing mode for rearing a character; and

a programmable controller that controls motions of the toy in said character standard mode or in said character rearing mode in accordance with said initial setting means,

wherein, when said character standard mode is set, the motions of the toy are controlled in accordance with preset data,

wherein, when said character rearing mode is set, emotion data is renewed in accordance with external inputs, and the motions of the toy are controlled pursuant to said renewed emotion data, in which said character rearing mode comprises an immature period where said controlling data is not renewed;

a rearing period where controlling data is renewed to provide the emotion data in accordance with the external inputs during a prescribed period of time; and

a completion-of-rearing period where motions are controlled in accordance with the renewed emotion data.

11. An electronic toy according to claim 10, wherein the emotion data is renewed in accordance with the frequency of input of sounds, food, contacts, etc. during said rearing period, and motions are controlled in accordance with said renewed emotion data.

12. An electronic toy according to claim 10, wherein said programmable controller sets either a first controlling flag for performing actions pursuant to at least the content of instructions which are input, or a second controlling flag for performing actions differing from said inputted instructions, and motions are controlled in accordance with the flag set.