Interactive toy with positional sensor

• US 8,092,271 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Garbos, Jennifer R., Hottel, Rebecca A., Short, Nancy Lynn, Staley, Timothy Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner, Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US11/962,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20090163111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 446/298
• US Class Current: 446/298
• 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 interactive toy for playing a game with a user of the toy includes electrical components for producing audible messages to instruct user actions. The toy also includes a hat having a brim movable between up and down positions. The position of the brim determines the play sequence of the toy and the audible messages played thereby by way of an activation mechanism. The toy is switched between “hide me” and “locate me” modes based on the position of the brim. An abbreviated trial mode is provided by way of a removable pull tab.

Claims

1. An interactive toy comprising:

a body having an interior cavity;

electrical components for playing audible messages for directing interaction with the toy, wherein a portion of the electrical components are located in the cavity of the body, and wherein the electrical components include a speaker and a switch;

a feature that is a brim of a hat of the toy, wherein the feature is movable between a first position and a second position while the hat is on the body;

an activation mechanism for altering a play sequence of the toy, wherein the activation mechanism cooperates with the feature of the toy and wherein the position of the feature determines the play sequence of the toy, wherein the activation mechanism includes a magnetic switch electronically coupled to the electrical components and a magnet, wherein the magnet is movable toward and away from the magnetic switch, wherein one of the magnet and the magnetic switch are positioned in the feature of the toy, wherein the magnet and the magnetic switch are near each other when the feature is in its first position, wherein the magnet and the magnetic switch are spaced apart from one another when the feature is in its second position, and wherein movement of the feature alters the distance between the magnet and the magnetic switch.

2. An interactive toy comprising:

a body having an interior cavity;

electrical components for playing audible messages for directing interaction with the toy, wherein a portion of the electrical components are located in the cavity of the body, and wherein the electrical components include a speaker and a switch;

a feature that is a brim of a hat of the toy, wherein the feature is movable between a first position and a second position while the hat is on the body;

an activation mechanism for altering a play sequence of the toy, wherein the activation mechanism cooperates with the feature of the toy and wherein the position of the feature determines the play sequence of the toy, and wherein a portion of the activation mechanism is located in the feature.

3. The toy of claim 2, wherein the toy includes eyes in a head portion of the body, wherein the brim is in an up position and the eyes are visible when the brim is in the first position, and wherein the brim is in a down position and the eyes are covered by the brim when the brim is in the second position.

4. The toy of claim 3, wherein the activation mechanism includes a magnetic switch electronically coupled to the electrical components and a magnet, and wherein one of the magnetic switch and the magnet are located in the brim of the hat.

5. The toy of claim 2, wherein the switch is a power switch and wherein the electrical components further include a battery compartment and an activation switch.

6. The toy of claim 5, wherein the activation switch is located in a limb of the toy and is accessible by a user to activate the toy.

7. The toy of claim 2, wherein the electrical components further include a controller having audio messages stored therein and wherein different messages are played depending on the position of the feature of the toy.

8. A method of playing a game with an interactive toy, wherein the toy includes a feature movable between a first position and a second position, the method comprising:

activating the toy with the feature in a first position, wherein the toy is in a hide mode when the feature is in the first position and wherein the toy produces audible messages instructing the user to hide the toy when the toy is in the hide mode and the feature is in the first position; and

moving the feature to the second position upon finding a location to hide the toy, wherein the toy is in a locate mode when the feature is in the second position and wherein the toy produces audible messages instructing a seeker to find the toy when the toy is in the locate mode and the feature is in the second position.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the feature to the first position upon finding the toy, wherein the toy produces audible messages indicating that it has been found.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the feature is a brim of a hat of the toy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the brim, when in the second position, is folded down and wherein the brim includes a portion of an activation mechanism.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the activation mechanism includes a magnetic switch and a magnet, wherein one of the magnetic switch and the magnet are located in the brim of the hat, and wherein moving the brim between the first and second positions moves the magnetic switch and the magnet toward and away from each other, thereby activating and deactivating the magnetic switch.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the feature is a brim of a hat of the toy, wherein the brim includes a magnet, wherein a head of the toy includes a magnetic switch therein, wherein the magnetic switch detects the presence of the magnet when the brim is turned up, wherein the sensor does not detect the presence of the magnet when the brim is turned down, and wherein the position of the brim determines whether the toy is in the hide mode or the locate mode.

14. An interactive toy comprising:

a toy body having an interior cavity;

a sound module positioned within the cavity, the module having a speaker and a controller with a plurality of audio messages stored therein for selective playback via the speaker, wherein the messages direct a user how to interact with the toy;

a power source electronically coupled with the sound module for providing electrical power thereto;

a user engagable switch for initiating interaction with the toy;

a feature of the toy movable between first and second positions; and

an activation mechanism having a magnetic switch and a magnet, wherein one of the magnetic switch and the magnet are located in the feature, and wherein moving the feature between the first and second positions moves the magnetic switch and the magnet toward and away from each other, thereby activating and deactivating the magnetic switch;

wherein the sound module plays messages directing the user to hide the toy when the feature is in the first position and wherein the sound module plays messages directing the user to find the toy when the feature is in the second position.

15. The toy of claim 14, wherein the toy includes eyes in a head thereof and wherein the feature covers at least a portion of the eyes when it is in the second position.

16. The toy of claim 15, wherein the feature is a brim of a hat of the toy and wherein the brim is movable from an up position where the sound module plays messages directing the user to hide the toy to a down position where the brim covers at least a portion of the eyes and the sound module plays messages directing the user to find the toy.

17. The toy of claim 16, wherein the magnetic switch is a reed switch located in the head of the toy and wherein the magnet is located in the brim of the hat.

18. The toy of claim 14, wherein the position of the feature determines which audio messages stored in the controller are played back.