Interactive play sets

• US 7,744,441 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Sosnovskiy, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US11/266,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/454, 446455-456, 463/1, 700/245, 700/262, 901/1
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to interactive play sets that include play companions and play companion bases, and methods of guiding play companions to those play companion bases.

Claims

1. An interactive play set, comprising:

a play companion configured to interact with a user, the play companion including;

an audio intake subsystem configured to detect one or more audible commands from the user,

an audio output system configured to output one or more sounds responsive to the detected audible commands, and

a motion subsystem configured to move the play companion responsive to the detected audible commands;

a base area; and

a positioning system configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion, the positioning system including;

a first navigation beacon configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a first coverage area;

a second navigation beacon configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a second coverage area; and

a third navigation beacon configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a third coverage area,

wherein at least a portion of the base area is within the third coverage area, the first coverage area being larger than the sum of the second and third coverage areas, wherein at least a substantial portion of the third coverage area is within the first coverage area, and wherein the audio intake system is configured to detect an extended period of silence and instruct the motion subsystem to move the play companion toward the base area.

2. The set of claim 1, wherein the positioning system is configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion to the base area.

3. The set of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons includes a light emitter.

4. The set of claim 3, wherein the light emitter is configured to emit at least one of an infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light beam.

5. The set of claim 3, wherein the light emitter includes a light emitting diode.

6. The set of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons includes a coverage regulator configured to regulate size of at least one of the first, second, and third coverage areas.

7. The set of claim 6, wherein the coverage regulator includes a collimator.

8. The set of claim 1, wherein at least a substantial portion of the second coverage area is within the first coverage area.

9. The set of claim 1, wherein the second coverage area is adjacent a front portion of the play companion base.

10. The set of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons is configured to control the motion subsystem of the play companion.

11. The set of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the first, second, and third navigation beacons is configured to control the motion subsystem of the play companion when at least a portion of the play companion is within the base area.

12. An interactive play set, comprising:

a play companion configured to interact with a user, the play companion including an audio intake subsystem configured to detect one or more audible commands from the user, and a motion subsystem configured to move the play companion responsive to the detected audible commands; and

a play companion base configured to at least partially contain the play companion, the play companion base including a positioning system configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion to the play companion base, wherein the positioning system includes;

a first light emitter configured to emit a first light beam to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a first coverage area;

a second light emitter configured to emit a second light beam to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a second coverage area; and

a third light emitter configured to emit a third light beam to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a third coverage area,

wherein the first light beam is broader than the second light beam and the third light beam, and wherein the audio intake system is configured to detect an extended period of silence and instruct the motion subsystem to move the play companion toward the play companion base.

13. The set of claim 12, wherein the third light emitter is configured to instruct the play companion to stop moving when at least a portion of the play companion is adjacent the play companion base.

14. The set of claim 13, wherein the third light emitter is configured to instruct the play companion to stop moving when at least a portion of the play companion is in the play companion base.

15. The set of claim 12, wherein the first, second, and third light emitters are configured to emit at least one of an infrared, a visible, and an ultraviolet light beam.

16. An interactive play set, comprising:

a play companion configured to interact with a user, the play companion including;

an audio intake subsystem configured to detect one or more audible commands from the user,

a motion subsystem configured to move the play companion based in part on the detected audible commands from the user, and

an audio output system configured to output one or more sounds based in part on the detected audible commands; and

a play companion base configured to at least partially contain the play companion, the play companion base including a positioning system configured to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion to the play companion base, wherein the positioning system includes;

a first light emitter configured to emit a first light beam to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a first coverage area;

a second light emitter configured to emit a second light beam to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a second coverage area; and

a third light emitter configured to emit a third light beam to guide the motion subsystem of the play companion when the play companion is in a third coverage area, and wherein the audio intake system is configured to detect an extended period of silence and instruct the motion subsystem to move the play companion toward the play companion base.

17. The set of claim 16, wherein the audio intake system is configured to instruct the audio output system to output one or more sounds when the extended period of silence is detected.

18. The set of claim 16, wherein the play companion is an interactive toy pet.