Wirelessly communicative cuddly toy

• US 9,914,062 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laura Jiencke
• Original Assignee: Laura Jiencke
• Inventors: Jiencke, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rada, II, Alex F. R. P.
• Application Number:
  US15/262,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20180071644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/005 with self-moving head or facial features with a choice of features A63H3/365; movable eyes A63H3/40
• 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 3/006 provided with electrical lighting electrical lighting F21
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/02 made of fabrics or stuffed
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/006 with audible presentation of the material to be studied audio and audio-visual teaching apparatus in general G09B5/04, G09B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes

Abstract

A wirelessly communicative cuddly toy including a stuffed animal toy having a motorized, articulated robotic interior member disposed therein surrounded by flocculent stuffing material. The robotic interior member includes a transceiver wirelessly communicable by NFC protocol with any appropriate peripheral device. An articulated head member is disposed upon the robotic interior member and configured to animate a mouth of the stuffed animal toy when a speaker, disposed to play audio signals relayed by the transceiver, is activated. Audio executed on the peripheral device is thus playable through the speaker on the robotic interior member and the articulated head member animates the stuffed animal toy in simulation of verbal communication with a user.

Claims

1. A wirelessly communicative cuddly toy comprising:

a stuffed animal toy having a motorized, articulated robotic interior member disposed therein surrounded by flocculent stuffing material, said robotic interior member including;

a transceiver, said transceiver wirelessly communicable by NFC protocol with an existing peripheral device;

an articulated head member disposed to animate a mouth of the stuffed animal toy;

a speaker disposed to play audio signals relayed by the transceiver;

a hollow elongate central portion having an uppermost end and a lowermost end;

a spherical member disposed at the lowermost end; and

a base member disposed to rotatably house the spherical member, said base member accommodative of rotation of the spherical member therein;

wherein audio executed on the peripheral device is playable through the speaker on the robotic interior member and the articulated head member animates the stuffed animal toy in simulation of verbal communication with a user and wherein movement of the spherical member effected interior to the base member communicates motion along the elongate central portion of the robotic interior member whereby a torso of the stuffed animal toy is caused to move.

2. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 1 wherein the speaker is disposed interior to the articulated head member whereby audio signals played through the speaker appear to emanate from a head of the stuffed animal toy.

3. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 2 wherein the base member is attached atop a stuffed ball disposed to maintain position of the elongate member interior to the torso of the stuffed animal toy whereby the articulated head member remains positioned appropriately to animate the mouth of the stuffed animal toy.

4. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 3 wherein the articulated head member further comprises:

an ovoid anterior lobe;

a snout member projected anteriorly upon the anterior lobe, said snout member disposed to maintain shape of a facial portion of the stuffed animal toy; and

a hinged jaw member pivotally disposed underlying the snout member, said hinged jaw member moveable between a raised position, to abut the snout member, and a lowered position, angled obtusely away from the snout member;

wherein activation of the speaker simultaneously activates motion of the hinged jaw member between the raised and lowered positions whereby the mandible of the stuffed animal toy appears to move synchronously with audio emanated from the anterior lobe thereby simulating speech.

5. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 4 wherein the articulated head portion further comprises a first electric motor disposed therein, said first electric motor disposed to rotationally engage an axle in each of a first and a second direction, whereby the hinged jaw member is moveable between the raised position and the lowered position.

6. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 5 wherein the robotic interior member further comprises:

a second electric motor disposed within the elongate central portion;

an axle rotationally engaged by the motor;

a gear pulley disposed in operational communication with the axle;

a first rotational element disposed upon the spherical member in operational communication with the gear pulley, said first rotational element having;

a first circumferential protuberance disposed projected transversely upon the first rotational element in a position proximal a circumference of the first rotational element, said first circumferential protuberance disposed to engage interior to a first pocket disposed upon an interior surface of the base member; and

a second rotational element disposed at the lowermost end upon an opposite side of the spherical member relative the first rotational element, said second rotational element likewise disposed in operational communication with the gear pulley, said second rotational element having;

a second circumferential protuberance disposed projected transversely upon the second rotational element in a position proximal a circumference of the second rotational element, but at a relative position diametrically opposed to the relative position of the first circumferential protuberance upon the first rotational element, said second circumferential protuberance disposed to engage interior to a second pocket disposed upon the interior surface of the base member;

wherein activation of the electric motor effects revolution of each of the first and second rotational elements whereby each of the first and second circumferential protuberances is revolved and rotationally engaged interior to each of the first and second pockets disposed upon the interior surface of the base member and the elongate central portion is thereby caused to oscillate from side to side as each of the first and second rotational elements is caused to rotate.

7. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 6 wherein the robotic interior member further comprises a:

an interconnect housing distally disposed endwise upon a wired circuit, said interconnect housing including an exposed portion accessible to a user;

a rechargeable cell disposed interior to the interconnect housing;

a charge port disposed exteriorly upon the interconnect housing, said charge port disposed upon the exposed portion and thereby exteriorly accessible upon the stuffed animal toy for connection with an existing charging cable; and

a switch disposed upon the exposed portion of the interconnect housing, said switch moveable between a first position and a second position;

wherein interconnect housing enables recharging of rechargeable cell and the robotic interior member is activated when the switch is moved to the second position and deactivated when said switch is moved to the first position.

8. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 7 wherein the transceiver automates wireless connection to an appropriate peripheral device by NFC when the switch is moved to the second position.

9. The wireless communicative cuddly toy of claim 8 wherein the robotic interior member is programmed to initiate a welcome message when the switch is moved to the second position.

10. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 9 wherein the anterior lobe of the articulated head member further comprises at least one LED illuminable whenever the speaker is activated.

11. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 10 wherein the first and second electric motors are activated anytime the speaker sounds an audio signal received by the transceiver whereby movement of the hinged jaw member and oscillation of the elongate central portion are coordinated with audio emanated from the head member.

12. A wirelessly communicative cuddly toy comprising a stuffed animal toy having a motorized, articulated robotic interior member disposed therein surrounded by flocculent stuffing material, said robotic interior member including:

a transceiver wirelessly communicable by NFC protocol with an existing peripheral device;

a hollow elongate central portion having an uppermost end and a lowermost end;

an articulated head member disposed at the uppermost end, said articulated head member disposed to animate a mouth of the stuffed animal toy, said articulated head member including;

an ovoid anterior lobe;

a snout member projected anteriorly upon the anterior lobe, said snout member disposed to maintain shape of a facial portion of the stuffed animal toy;

a hinged jaw member pivotally disposed underlying the snout member, said hinged jaw member moveable between a raised position, to abut the snout member, and a lowered position, angled obtusely away from the snout member;

a first electric motor disposed to rotationally engage an axle in each of a first and a second direction, said axle communicating motion to effect the hinged jaw member between the raised position and the lowered position;

a spherical member disposed at the lowermost end;

a base member disposed to rotatably house the spherical member, said base member accommodative of rotation of the spherical member;

a second electric motor disposed within the elongate central portion;

an axle rotationally engaged by the second electric motor;

a gear pulley disposed in operational communication with the axle;

a first rotational element disposed upon the spherical member in operational communication with the gear pulley, said first rotational element having;

a first circumferential protuberance disposed projected transversely upon the first rotational element in a position proximal a circumference of the first rotational element, said first circumferential protuberance disposed to engage interior to a first pocket disposed upon an interior surface of the base member;

a second rotational element disposed upon the spherical member upon an opposite side of the spherical member relative the first rotational element, said second rotational element likewise disposed in operational communication with the gear pulley, said second rotational element having;

a second circumferential protuberance disposed projected transversely upon the second rotational element in a position proximal a circumference of the second rotational element, but at a relative position diametrically opposed to the relative position of the first circumferential protuberance upon the first rotational element, said second circumferential protuberance disposed to engage interior to a second pocket disposed upon the interior surface of the base member;

a stuffed ball disposed to anchor the base member centrally interior the stuffed animal toy;

a speaker disposed apically atop the articulated head member, said speaker disposed to play audio signals relayed by the transceiver;

an interconnect housing distally disposed endwise upon a wired circuit, said interconnect housing including an exposed portion accessible to a user;

a rechargeable cell disposed interior to the interconnect housing;

a charge port disposed exteriorly upon the interconnect housing, said charge port disposed upon the exposed portion and thereby exteriorly accessible upon the stuffed animal toy for connection with an existing charging cable; and

a switch disposed upon the exposed portion of the interconnect housing, said switch moveable between a first position and a second position to alternately activate and deactivate the interior robotic member;

wherein audio executed on the peripheral device is playable through the speaker on the robotic interior member whereby sounding of the speaker simultaneously activates the articulated head member and central elongate portion to animate the stuffed animal toy in simulation of speechifying the audio executed on the peripheral device.

13. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 12 wherein the transceiver automates wireless connection to an appropriate peripheral device by NFC when the switch is moved to the second position.

14. The wireless communicative cuddly toy of claim 13 wherein the robotic interior member is programmed to initiate a welcome message when the switch is moved to the second position.

15. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 14 wherein the anterior lobe of the articulated head member further comprises at least one LED illuminable whenever the speaker is activated.

16. The wirelessly communicative cuddly toy of claim 15 wherein the first and second electric motors are activated anytime the speaker sounds an audio signal received by the transceiver whereby movement of the hinged jaw member and oscillation of the elongate central portion are coordinated with audio emanated from the head member in simulation of verbal communication.