Interactive money box and child thrift method

• US 20080261480A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Karce Electronics Limited
• Original Assignee: Karce Electronics Limited
• Inventors: Chan, Chi Wai
• Application Number:
  US11/787,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261480A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/9
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 1/12 Savings boxes
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 15/06 with illuminating devices

Abstract

An interactive money box fosters the habit of saving in children by displaying animated characters in response to insertion of coins into a money box. Characters may also be displayed in response to failure to insert coins for a period of time or at a given rate.

Claims

1. An interactive money box comprising:

a housing having a storage region and an opening which provides access to said storage region;

a sensor to detect the insertion of a coin through said opening;

an electronic display mounted to said housing and visible from an exterior location to said housing; and

a processor responsive to said sensor and in communication with said electronic display so that the display exhibits an animated virtual creature sequence in response to the frequency of insertion of a coin.

2. The interactive money box of claim 1 further comprising an audio speaker in communication with said processor and providing an audio output.

3. The interactive money box of claim 1 wherein said electronic display is a dot matrix display.

4. The interactive money box of claim 1 wherein said electronic display and processor are configurable to function as an alarm clock.

5. The interactive money box of claim 1 wherein said creature sequence comprises a sequence wherein a creature changes in illustrated health demeanor.

6. The interactive money box of claim 5 wherein said illustrated health demeanor is a function of rate of coin insertion.

7. The interactive money box of claim 1 wherein said virtual creature sequence comprises a plurality of different animated pets.

8. The interactive money box of claim 7 further comprising displaying a collection of each of said pets.

9. The interactive money box of claim 4 and further comprising a key for transforming between alarm clock and bank modes.

10. The interactive money box of claim 1 wherein said processor comprises a memory containing data for generating a multiplicity of different animated creatures.

11. A method for encouraging thrift comprising:

providing a container for money, said container having an opening;

generating signals indicative of the insertion of money into said opening;

determining the frequency of said signals; and

displaying one or more animated creatures as a function of said frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said animated creatures further comprise different virtual pets.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a sequence of depictions having different illustrated health demeanors for each creature.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein when said frequency is greater than a threshold, selecting a new animated creature and further displaying the new creature.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising sequentially generating a plurality of sequences of different animated pets.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying a collection of pets from said plurality of sequences.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating an audio sound in association with said electronic display.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising sequentially displaying different species of a pet.