Interactive doll

• US 6,629,133 B1
• Filed: 08/19/1999
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Mathews, David Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANG, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US09/378,219
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/219, 709/206, 709/203, 250/205, 725/153, 446/404, 446/142, 446/175, 446/199, 446/268
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 30/02 Electrical arrangements transformers H01F; converters H02M
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

An interactive doll is disclosed having one or more sensors contained therein. The one or more sensors are operable to trigger output of a signal from the doll in response to the one or more sensors being activated by physical stimuli of a user. A processor located with the user and the doll at a first node of a global communication network processes the signal. The processor is operable to link the signal with one or more remote nodes also located on the global communication network. The one or more remote nodes return information to the processor for presentation to the user via the user'"'"'s computer, in response to the one or more sensors being activated.

Claims

1. An interactive doll, comprising:

a doll having one or more sensors, said one or more sensors operable to trigger output of an output signal from said doll in response to being activated by physical stimuli of a user, said doll located at output signal coupled to a first node of a global communication network;

a processor for processing said signal, said processor located at said first node and operable to link said output signal with one or more remote nodes located on said global communication network; and

wherein said sensors each have associated therewith destination routing information to a destination one of said one or more remote nodes, which said destination routing information is disposed at an advertiser reference server on an intermediate one of said one or more remote nodes, such that activation of said one or more sensors triggers assembly of a message packet by said processor, said message packet containing intermediate routing information for accessing said advertiser reference server at said intermediate one of said one or more remote nodes and sensor information corresponding to said triggered output signal for routing to the one or more of said sensor activated, and said sensor information having an associative relationship at said advertiser reference server with said associated destination routing information;

said processor operable to transfer said message packet to said intermediate one of said one or more remote nodes in accordance with said intermediate routing information associated with said message packet;

wherein said advertiser reference server performs a table lookup to cross reference said received sensor information of said message packet with said associated destination routing information, which said associated destination routing information is associated with a manufacturer of said doll, wherein said cross referenced destination routing information defines manufacturer routing information of a web server of said manufacturer located at said destination one of said one or more remote nodes; and

wherein said advertiser server returns said manufacturer routing information to said processor and said processor is operable to access said one or more remote nodes destination node associated with said manufacture and said destination node operable to return information to said processor for presentation to said user, in response to said one or more sensors being activated.

2. The doll of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors are pressure sensors which are located within said doll, and said signal is an audible tone which is processed by said processor.

3. The doll of claim 1, wherein said doll connects to said processor using a cable which carries said signal to said processor.

4. The doll of claim 1, wherein said signal is an audible tone having encoded therein information which uniquely identifies said audible tone with select ones of said one or more sensors.

5. The doll of claim 1, wherein said message packet further comprises sensor-specific information, toy-specific information, and a unique identification number of said user.

6. The doll of claim 1, wherein a web server of a manufacturer of said doll returns advertising related to activation of a select one of said one or more sensors.

7. The doll of claim 1, wherein said processor links said signal with said first one of said one or more remote nodes by inserting routing information into a communication program, said communication program operable to communicate with said one or more remote nodes.

8. A method of operating an interactive doll, comprising the steps of;

providing a doll having one or more sensors operable to trigger output of an output signal from the doll in response to being the one or more sensors being activated by a physical stimuli of a user, the doll located at output signal coupled to a first node of a global communication network;

processing with a processor the said output signal output by the doll, the processor located at the first node and operable to link the signal with one or more remote nodes located on the global communication network;

wherein the sensors each have associated therewith destination routing information to a destination one of the one or more remote nodes, which said destination routing information is disposed at an advertiser reference server on an intermediate one of the one or more remote nodes, such that activation of the one or more sensors triggers assembly of a message packet by the processor, the message packet containing intermediate routing information for accessing the advertiser reference server at the intermediate one of the one or more remote nodes and sensor information corresponding to the triggered output signal for routing to the one or more of the sensor activated, and the sensor information having an associative relationship at the advertiser reference server with the associated destination routing information;

the processor operable to transfer the message packet to the intermediate one of the one or more remote nodes in accordance with the intermediate routing information associated with the message packet;

wherein the advertiser reference server performs a table lookup to cross reference said received sensor information of the message packet with the associated destination routing information, which the associated destination routing information is associated with a manufacturer of the doll, wherein the cross referenced destination routing information defines manufacturer routing information of a web server of the manufacturer located at the destination one of the one or more remote nodes; and

wherein the advertiser server returns the manufacturer routing information to the processor and the processor is operable to access the one or more remote nodes destination node associated with the manufacture and the destination node operable to return information to the processor for presentation to the user, in response to the one or more sensors being activated.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said one or more sensors are pressure sensors which are located within the doll, and the signal is an audible signal which is processed by said processor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the doll connects to the processor using a cable which carriers the signal to the processor.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal is an audible tone having encoded therein information which uniquely identifies the audible tone with select ones of the one or more sensors.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the message packet further comprises sensor-specific information, toy-specific information, and a unique identification number of the user.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein a web server of a manufacturer of the doll returns advertising related to activation of a select one of the one or more sensors.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor links the signal with the first one of the one or more remote nodes by inserting routing information into a communication program, the communication program operable to communicate with the one or more remote nodes.