Interactive play device and method

• US 7,491,111 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interactive Play Devices LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nabil N. Ghaly
• Inventors: Ghaly, Nabil N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US11/301,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20060094332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/409, 446/436, 446/456, 434/239, 434/300, 434/302, 434/305, 434/258, 434/365.1
• US Class Current: 446/436
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/28 Electric lighting systems
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/32 Acoustical or optical signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 29/22 Electric drives power supply through track A63H18/12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068

Abstract

An interactive play device, method and apparatus, is disclosed which includes means to generate a plurality of interactions, entry control means, means to store responses to interactions and control means to select the next interaction based on memorized responses. One object of this invention is to provide a new class of interactive play devices, which is founded on personalizing a play device so that its current functionality is based on past interactions with a player rather than providing an identical operation or a randomly activated function each time the device is turned “on.” The invention also provides a plurality of toy devices, which operate in a plurality of states that mimic human behavior. A preferred embodiment discloses an interactive doll device, which generates interactions that require responses from the player. The responses are memorized by the doll device and are used to select the next interaction. An alternate embodiment discloses an interactive toy car device, which uses the same concept of memorizing responses to interactions to generate the next interaction. Both the doll and car play devices are controlled by a generic flow diagram disclosed in the specification. The specification also discloses a game during which the player is challenged to transform the play device from an initial state to a desired state by providing appropriate responses to the interactions initiated by the device.

Claims

1. An interactive toy vehicle that provides interactive effects with the user comprising:

a housing,

input control means, which includes at least one of a switch, a sound activated sensor, a voice activated module, a speech recognition module, a light activated sensor, and a magnetic sensor, to enable a player to control the vehicle, and interact with the vehicle,

means for storing information related to user'"'"'s interaction with the vehicle, and means for analyzing user'"'"'s interactions with the vehicle in order to derive knowledge information that includes at least one of pattern of user'"'"'s interactions with the vehicle, user'"'"'s preferences in interacting with the vehicle, user'"'"'s habits in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and

control means for employing said knowledge information to operate the vehicle in a plurality of states.

2. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said means to operate the vehicle in a plurality of states further includes an algorithm that employs random function.

3. The toy vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a motor, a steering mechanism, and a remote control apparatus to enable the user to control the movement of the vehicle.

4. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein said plurality of operating states includes states during which the vehicle imitates at least one of android behavior and human behavior.

5. The toy vehicle of claim 4, wherein said operating states during which the vehicle imitates android or human behavior include at least one of amused, annoyed, grumpy, alert and surprised states.

6. The toy vehicle of claim 1, wherein said control means that employs the knowledge information is based on the history of user'"'"'s responses to interactions.

7. The toy vehicle of claim 1 wherein the housing of the vehicle is shaped as a motorcycle, car, truck, van, military tank, train, plane or a boat.

8. An interactive toy vehicle that provides interactive effects with the user comprising:

input control mechanism, which includes at least one of a switch, a sound activated sensor, a voice activated module, a speech recognition module, a light activated sensor, and a magnetic sensor, to enable a player to control the vehicle, and interact with the vehicle,

a microprocessor with a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the vehicle,

a computer program segment to control the operation of the vehicle, computer memory to store information related to user'"'"'s interaction with the vehicle,

a computer program segment that analyzes user'"'"'s interactions with the vehicle in order to derive knowledge information that includes at least one of pattern of user'"'"'s interactions with the vehicle, user'"'"'s preferences in interacting with the vehicle, user'"'"'s habits in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and

a computer program segment that employs said knowledge information to operate the vehicle in a plurality of states.

9. The toy vehicle of claim 8, wherein said computer program segment that controls the vehicle to operate in a plurality of states includes an algorithm that employs random function.

10. A toy vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein the computer program segment that controls the vehicle to operate in a plurality of states is based on the history of user'"'"'s responses to interactions.

11. The toy vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a motor, a steering mechanism, and a remote control apparatus to enable the user to control the movement of the vehicle.

12. The toy vehicle of claim 8 wherein said plurality of operating states includes states during which the vehicle imitates at least one of human behavior and android behavior.

13. The toy vehicle of claim 12, wherein said operating states during which the vehicle imitates android behavior or human include at least one of amused, annoyed, grumpy, alert and surprised operating states.

14. The toy vehicle of claim 8 further includes accessories that can be plugged into the toy vehicle.

15. The toy vehicle of claim 8 wherein the housing of the vehicle is shaped as a motorcycle, car, truck, van, military tank, train, plane or a boat.

16. An interactive toy vehicle that provides interactive effects with the user comprising:

input control mechanisms to enable a player to control the vehicle, and interact with the vehicle,

a microprocessor with a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the vehicle,

a computer program segment to control the operation of the vehicle,

computer memory to store information related to user'"'"'s interactions,

a computer program segment that analyzes user'"'"'s interactions with the vehicle in order to derive knowledge information that includes at least one of pattern of user'"'"'s interactions with the vehicle, user'"'"'s preferences in interacting with the vehicle, user'"'"'s habits in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and

a computer program segment that employs said knowledge information to operate the vehicle in a plurality of states that imitates human or android behavior.

17. The toy vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a motor, a steering mechanism, and a remote control apparatus to enable the user to control the movement of the vehicle.

18. The toy vehicle recited in claim 16, wherein said input control mechanisms include plugging in at least one accessory into the vehicle.

19. The toy vehicle of claim 16, wherein said operating states during which the vehicle imitates human or android behavior include at least one of amused, annoyed, grumpy, alert and surprised operating states.

20. The toy vehicle of claim 16, further including means for communicating with a similar interactive vehicle.

21. The toy vehicle of claim 16 further comprising a computer program segment to transform the toy vehicle from a first operating state to a second operating state.