Interacting toys

• US 8,827,761 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Lipman
• Original Assignee: Hydrae Limited
• Inventors: Lipman, Steven, Kilbride-Newman, Robert Frederick, Shmuel, Alon
• Primary Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US13/054,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175
• US Class Current: 446/175
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

There is provided a toy (A) adapted to have an interaction with at least one other such toy (B), comprising: a processor (1700) and a memory (1702) coupled to said processor; wherein said processor comprises: means (1704) for generating an output signal representative of an action to be performed; and means for generating a trigger (1706) signal, for reception at least one other such toy, to trigger said other such toy to perform an action before the said toy has completed its own action. Furthermore, the trigger signal is generated at pre-determined time interval after said toy has initiated its own action, or the trigger signal is generated at a pre-determined time interval before said toy has completed its own action.

Claims

1. A first toy configured to have an interaction with at least a second toy, comprising:

a processor and

a memory coupled to said processor;

wherein the said processor comprises;

means for generating an output signal representative of an action to be performed by the first toy; and

means for generating a trigger signal while the first toy is performing its action, for reception by at least the second toy, to trigger said second toy to perform an action before the first toy has completed its action, wherein the second toy is configured to perform the action in response to the trigger signal while the first toy is still performing its action, wherein said trigger signal is generated at a pre-determined time interval after said first toy has initiated its action or before said first toy has completed its action, and further comprising an input enabling a user to input a measure for said pre-determined time interval.

2. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said pre-determined time interval is at least one of:

less than 1 second;

half of a second;

a quarter of a second; and

substantially 0 seconds.

3. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said action is at least one of:

emitting sound, emitting light, and movement.

4. The toy according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with said at least one second toy.

5. The toy according to claim 4, wherein said wireless communication module transmits at least one of:

the trigger signal;

the output signal;

information relating to the interaction; and

information relating to the toy.

6. The toy according to claim 5, wherein said information relating to the interaction includes at least one of:

the action output by the toy;

the duration of the action; and

the action for said second toy to take.

7. The toy according to claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store a pre-determined interaction.

8. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to determine said interaction pseudo-randomly.

9. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said toy is configured to interact as if it were animate.

10. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said interaction is at least one of:

a conversation, a vocal interaction, an inter-personal interaction, an educational interaction, playing music, and playing a game.

11. The toy according to claim 10, wherein said toy is configured to interact as a member in a group of such toys.

12. The toy according to claim 11, wherein said group represents one of:

a music band;

a group of cars;

or a group of military assets.

13. The toy according to claim 11, wherein said trigger signal is used to synchronise the actions of the group.

14. The toy according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a trigger signal from another such toy, and using said trigger signal to determine a time to initiate an action.

15. The toy according to claim 1, wherein said toy is one of:

a doll, a game board, a vehicle, and a military asset.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory, for use in a first toy configured to have an interaction with at least a second toy, said memory containing a set of instructions comprising:

code for generating an output signal representative of an action to be performed by the first toy; and

code for generating a trigger signal while the first toy is performing its action, for reception by at least the second toy, to trigger said second toy to perform an action before the first toy has completed its action, wherein the second toy is configured to perform the action in response to the trigger signal while the first toy is still performing its action, wherein said memory comprises code for generating said trigger signal at a pre-determined time interval after said first toy has initiated its action or before said first toy has completed its action, and wherein said memory further comprises code for enabling a user to input a measure of said pre-determined time interval.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 16, wherein said pre-determined time interval is at least one of:

less than 1 second;

half of a second;

a quarter of a second; and

substantially 0 seconds.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 16, wherein said action is at least one of:

emitting sound, emitting light, and movement.

19. A portable USB device comprising:

a computer readable memory containing a set of instructions comprising code for generating an output signal representative of an action to be performed by a first toy; and

code for generating a trigger signal while the first toy is performing its action, for reception by at least a second toy, to trigger said second toy to perform an action before the first toy has completed its action;

wherein the second toy is configured to perform the action in response to the trigger signal while the first toy is still performing it'"'"'s action;

a communication port for connecting the portable USB device to a computer; and

means for establishing a network between the computer and each of the first toy and the second toy;

wherein said portable USB device allows the computer to communicate with each of the first toy and the second toy as if the computer were another toy, wherein said memory comprises code for generating said trigger signal at a pre-determined time interval after said first toy has initiated its action or before said first toy has completed its action, and wherein said memory further comprises code for enabling a user to input a measure of said pre-determined time interval.

20. The portable USB device according to claim 19, wherein said pre-determined time interval is at least one of:

less than 1 second;

half of a second;

a quarter of a second; and

substantially 0 seconds.

21. The portable USB device according to claim 19, wherein said action is at least one of:

emitting sound, emitting light, and movement.