Interactive toy

• US 6,253,058 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toybox Corp.
• Original Assignee: Toybox Corp.
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Tatsuya, Murasaki, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/409,897
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 446/297-298, 446/300-301, 446/397, 446/175, 446/268, 446/270, 434/308, 434/307.R, 463/1, 463/30, 463/36, 463/40, 463/42, 463/35
• US Class Current: 434/308
• 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 that can display emotional expressions in accordance with the degree of friendliness between the user and the toy, comprising a detector for detecting an external stimulation which is a stimulation by a movement and converting it into an electric signal and an output for outputting data stored in a storage section by the electric signal sent from the detector, wherein the data so outputted are data with respect to sound, and the toy reacts with audio.

Claims

1. An interactive toy comprising:

detection means for detecting at least one external stimulus to the toy and for providing at least one electric signal in response to the detection;

a memory element connected to store data representative of a number of at least some of the external stimulus detected by the detection means;

a control circuit operatively coupled to the detection means and to the memory element and to provide at least one output signal responsive to the data; and

output means for providing at least one output responsive to the at least one output signal.

2. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detection means includes:

a weight positioned to move in response to movement of the toy; and

a movement detection circuit connected to provide an electric signal responsive to movement of the weight.

3. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the memory element stores data representative of the number of detections by the detection means;

and stores data with respect to sound and light.

4. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 3, wherein the detection means includes a movable member housed within a case.

5. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a light-emitting element connected to emit light in response to an output of the memory element.

6. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detection means includes at least one of a movement detector connected to detect an external stimulus comprising at least a position of the toy, a sound detector connected to detect an external stimulus comprising at least some of the sounds reaching the toy, and a vibration detector connected to detect an external stimulus comprising vibrations of the toy.

7. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 6, wherein the memory element stores data representative of a number of at least one of the position of the toy, sounds reaching the toy and vibrations of the toy, as detected by the detection means.

8. An interactive toy as set forth in claim 7, wherein the output means outputs at least one of light and sound responsive to the at least one output signal.