Electronic educational toy appliance and a portable memory device therefor

• US 6,755,655 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tinkers & Chance
• Original Assignee: Tinkers & Chance
• Inventors: Marcus, Brian I., Heit, Warren S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rovnak, John Edmund
• Application Number:
  US10/260,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20030031988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 434/116, 434/118, 434/156, 434/159, 434/167, 434/169, 434/172, 434/178, 434/185, 434/188, 434/190, 434/191, 434/193, 434/201, 434/208, 434/209, 434/308, 434/309, 434/311, 434/321, 434/322, 434/335, 434/340, 434/351, 434/358, 434/362
• US Class Current: 434/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/06 and being attachable to, or mounted on, the support
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/16 the elements each bearing a plurality of different symbols, signs, or combinations of symbols and signs, only one symbol, sign, or combination thereof, of each element to be used at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/36 the elements being connectible by corresponding projections and recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/00 Teaching hand-writing, shorthand, drawing, or painting
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/025 with electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/04 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying a further explanation

Abstract

An electronic toy appliance for use with interchangeable graspable objects such as blocks or tiles, the toy appliance designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind using audio feedback.

Claims

1. An electronic toy appliance for use with cube-shaped blocks, the toy appliance designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind using audio feedback comprising:

a base having an upper surface, the upper surface of the base having a substantially horizontal area with a plurality of block receiving recesses, each of the block receiving recesses adapted to receive a lower portion of a cube-shaped block and further adapted to allow a child to change the orientation of the block so different faces of the block may face upwardly;

one or more sensors, the one or more sensors capable of sensing information associated with a block in a block receiving recess;

a speaker; and

a processor capable of receiving an input corresponding to the block information sensed by the one or more sensors and capable of generating, depending at least in part on the received input, an audio output via the speaker designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind.

2. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the blocks have a different symbol on a plurality of its faces.

3. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 2, wherein the symbols are non-alphanumeric symbols.

4. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 2, wherein the symbols are alphanumeric symbols.

5. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the base further includes a button that upon actuation initiates sensing of information from one or more blocks.

6. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of block receiving recesses are arranged in a multi-dimensional fashion.

7. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the processor generates a first audio output through the speaker when a first set of the blocks are in the block receiving recesses and the processor generates a second audio output through the speaker different from the first audio output when a second set of the blocks, different from the first set in at least one respect, are in the block receiving recesses.

8. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the processor generates a first audio output through the speaker when a first set of block are in the black receiving recess and the processor generates a second audio output through the speaker different from the first audio output when a different orientation of the first set of block in at least one respect are in the block receiving recess.

9. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the processor is capable of generating an audio output via the speaker to prompt a child to change the orientation of a block so a different face of the block faces upwardly.

34. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 1, wherein the processor is capable of generating an audio output via the speaker to prompt a child to place in a block receiving recess.

10. An electronic toy appliance for use with cube-shaped blocks, the toy appliance designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind using audio feedback comprising:

a base having an upper surface with a plurality of block receiving recesses, each of the block receiving recesses adapted to receive a cube-shaped block having six faces and further adapted to allow a child to change the orientation of the block so different faces of the block may face upwardly;

one or more sensors, the one or more sensors capable of sensing information associated with a block in a block receiving recess;

a speaker;

a portable memory data receiving device capable of receiving data from a portable memory element, the data including information to provide a child with audio feedback responsive to the child'"'"'s play with the cube-shaped blocks on the toy appliance; and

a processor capable of receiving an input corresponding to the block information sensed by the one or more sensors and capable of generating, depending at least in part on the received input, an audio output via the speaker designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind, wherein the processor utilizes data from the portable memory element to generate the output.

11. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the blocks have a different symbol on a plurality of its faces.

12. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the symbols are non-alphanumeric symbols.

13. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the symbols are alphanumeric symbols.

14. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the base further includes a button that upon actuation initiates sensing of information from one or more blocks.

15. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the plurality of block receiving recesses are arranged in a multi-dimensional fashion.

16. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the processor generates a first audio output through the speaker when a first set of the blocks are in the block receiving recesses and the processor generates a second audio output through the speaker different from the first audio output when a second set of the blocks, different from the first set in at least one respect, are in the block receiving recesses.

17. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the processor generates a first audio output through the speaker when a first set of block are in the block receiving recess and the processor generates a second audio output through the speaker different from the first audio output when a different orientation of the first set of blocks in at least one respect are in the block receiving recess.

18. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the processor is capable of generating an audio output via the speaker to prompt a child to select a block for placement in a block receiving recess.

19. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 10, wherein the processor is capable of generating an audio output via the speaker to prompt a child to change the orientation of a block so a different face of the block faces upwardly.

20. An electronic toy appliance for use with cube-shaped blocks, the toy appliance designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind using audio feedback comprising:

a plurality of cube-shaped blocks having at least six faces, the blocks containing one or more circuits with information corresponding to the identity of the face of the block facing upwardly;

a base having an upper surface with a plurality of block receiving recesses, each of the block receiving recesses adapted to receive a cube-shaped block having six faces and further adapted to allow a child to change the orientation of the block so different faces of the block may face upwardly;

one or more sensors capable of sensing information from the one or more circuits contained in the object in a block receiving recess;

a speaker; and

a processor capable of receiving an input corresponding to the block information sensed by the one or more sensors and capable of generating, depending at least in part on the received input, an audio output via the speaker designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind.

21. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the blocks contain six circuits, each circuit corresponding to one of the faces of the blocks.

22. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, further comprising a portable memory data receiving device capable of receiving data from a portable memory element, the data including information to provide a child with audio feedback responsive to the child'"'"'s play with the cube-shaped blocks on the toy appliance.

23. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 22, wherein the processor utilizes data from the portable memory element to generate the output.

24. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the plurality of blocks have different symbols on a plurality of their faces.

25. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the symbols are non-alphanumeric symbols.

26. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 24, wherein the symbols are alphanumeric symbols.

27. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the base further includes a button that upon actuation initiates sensing of information from one or more blocks.

28. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the plurality of block receiving recesses are arranged in a multi-dimensional fashion.

29. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the processor generates a first audio output through the speaker when a first set of the blocks are in the block receiving recesses and the processor generates a second audio output through the speaker different from the first audio output when a second set of the blocks, different from the first set, in at least one respect, are in the block receiving recesses.

30. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the processor generates a first audio output through the speaker when a first set of blocks are in the block receiving recess and the processor generates a second audio output through the speaker different from the first audio output when a different orientation of the first set of blocks in at least one respect are in the block receiving recess.

31. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the processor is capable of generating an audio output via the speaker to prompt a child to select a block for placement in a block receiving recess.

32. An electronic toy appliance as in claim 20, wherein the processor is capable of generating an audio output via the speaker to prompt a child to change the orientation of a block so a different face of the block faces upwardly.

33. A portable data memory element, comprising:

one or more memory elements in a portable package containing data with information to provide a child with audio feedback responsive to a child'"'"'s play with cube-shaped blocks on a toy appliance having a base with an upper surface with a plurality of block receiving recesses, each of the block receiving recesses adapted to receive a cube-shaped block having six faces and further adapted to allow a child to change the orientation of the block so different faces of the block may face upwardly, one or more sensors, the one or more sensors capable of sensing information associated with a block placed in a block receiving recess, a speaker, and a processor capable of receiving an input corresponding to the block information sensed by the one or more sensors and capable of generating, depending at least in part on the received input, an audio output via the speaker designed to stimulate the development of a child'"'"'s mind.