Interactive sound producing toy

• US 6,971,943 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arne Schulze
• Original Assignee: Arne Schulze
• Inventors: Schulze, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BENA B
• Application Number:
  US10/914,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20050287911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 446327-329, 446/175, 446/297, 446/484, 340/384.3, 340/384.4, 340/384.7
• US Class Current: 446/327
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/14 into which the fingers of the hand can be inserted, e.g. hand-puppets
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/365 allowing a choice of facial features, e.g. to change the facial expression change of expression through animation A63H3/48, self-moving A63H13/005; movable eyes A63H3/40

Abstract

A sound-producing toy configured to represent a living being having movable parts to simulate a natural form of animation of a mouth includes a sound-producing unit operable in the response to the simulated animation. Animation may be simulated by a hand inserted in the toy, by operation of an actuator incorporated in the toy, or by a remote control device. The apparatus includes a switch that activates a sound-producing unit, which produces a sequence of syllables that is capable of being synchronized with the animation of the mouth. The onset, coda, and duration of each syllable'"'"'s nucleus is controlled by the user of the toy with the ability to synchronize visual animation and the vocal performance of a familiar song, poem, or other series of verbal audio events divided into individual syllables, in a totally realistic manner. In another aspect of the invention, a musical instrumental sequenced performance may be synchronized with the vocal presentation and the synchronized visual animation of the toy.

Claims

1. A sound producing apparatus, comprising:

a toy, having a head portion including a pair of opposed jaw members movable between a closed first position and an open second position by the user of the toy;

a sound producing unit located in said toy, said sound producing unit including a speaker for outputting audio and further including single or multiple prerecorded syllable verbal audio events of any language or phonetic character; and

a switch for selectively actuating said sound producing unit to initiate at least one of said syllable verbal audio events in complete realistic and natural synchronization with the commencement of movement of the jaw members between said first and second positions without said jaw members contacting each other,

whereby, each said syllable verbal audio event is terminated in a natural manner by said switch when said jaw members return to said first position, independent of the length of time elapsed in returning said jaw members to said first position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said syllable verbal audio event further comprises:

a first segment actuated by said switch when said jaw members begin movement between said first position and said second position, the duration of said segment controlled by the user;

a second segment following said first segment said second segment sustained for as long as said jaw members are in said second position; and

a third segment following said second segment, said third segment activated by said switch when said jaw members return to said first position, said third segment providing a natural sounding decay to said syllable verbal audio event.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first segment is the onset, said second segment is the nucleus, and said third segment is the coda.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a manual actuator to move said jaw members.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each said verbal audio event is in the form of a word having one or more syllables.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said toy further includes a body portion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each syllable comprises:

a central peak of sonority; and

a plurality of consonants surrounding said central peak of sonority.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said jaw members are normally biased in said first position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a program selection switch.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sound producing unit further includes a plurality of prerecorded audio program events in the form of speech or verbal melody line sequences divided into individual manual controllable syllables.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each said verbal melody line sequence further includes a musical instrumental accompaniment performance in synchronization with said verbal melody line sequence.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a chromatic pitch-shifting switch.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein repeated movement of said jaw members produces recognizable words synchronized with said repeated movement of said jaw members.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein repeated movement of said jaw members produced recognizable phrases synchronized with said repeated movement of said jaw members.

15. A sound producing apparatus comprising:

a hand covering configured to be worn on a human hand inside a hand puppet;

a sound producing unit located in said hand covering, said sound producing unit including a speaker for outputting audio and further including prerecorded syllable verbal audio events; and

a switch for selectively actuating said sound producing unit to initiate at least one of said syllable verbal audio events in response to the movement of the hand in synchronization with the start of movement and continuation of movement of the thumb and fingers of the hand between a closed first position and an open second position without requiring contact between the thumb and fingers,

whereby, each said syllable verbal audio event is terminated by said switch when said thumb and fingers return to said first position, independent of the length of time elapsed in returning said jaw members to said first position.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each said syllable verbal audio event further comprises:

a first segment actuated by said switch when said jaw members begin movement between said first position and said second position, the duration of said segment controlled by the user;

a second segment following said first segment said second segment sustained for as long as said jaw members are in said second position; and

a third segment following said second segment, said third segment activated by said switch when said jaw members return to said first position, said third segment providing a natural sounding decay to said syllable verbal audio event.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a program selection switch.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said sound producing unit further includes a plurality of prerecorded audio program events in the form of speech or verbal melody line sequences.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each said verbal melody line sequence further includes a musical instrumental accompaniment performance in synchronization with said verbal melody line sequence.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a chromatic pitch-shifting switch.