Amusement devices: toys – Rolling or tumbling – Including vehicle-carried control mechanism activated or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-17
2001-01-09
Muir, D. Neal (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Rolling or tumbling
Including vehicle-carried control mechanism activated or...
C446S270000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171172
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorized electric toy that can remotely sense and avoid an object.
2. Background Information
There have been developed a number of toys that emit sounds or move body parts in response to a change of environment. Tiger Electronics sold a toy under the trademark FURBY that would emit speech and move body parts in response to changes in light or movement of the toy. For example, the toy would open its eyes when exposed to light. The FURBY doll had no means to move across a surface.
Tyco Preschool sold a toy set under the trademark ELMO AND HIS DOG. The toy set included a dog which contained a receiver and an “ELMO” character that had a transmitter. Pressing the ELMO character would cause the transmitter to transmit signals to the receiver and move the dog. The child could control the movement of the dog through the ELMO character. If the dog encountered an object the child would have to press the ELMO character to move the toy dog around the object. The dog had no means to move around the object without the child's input.
There have been other walking toy dogs such as a product sold by Toybiz under the trademark POOCH THE GOOD PUPPY. The Toybiz dog would move toward a child who emitted a sound. The toy dog also contained a number of buttons that could be depressed to initiate a movement of the dog. For example, the toy would sit when a button was depressed on the dog's back. Toymax marketed a toy dog that would lift its leg and release a liquid when a child squeezed a bone attached to the dog. None of these toys could sense and move around an object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention includes a toy that can move around an object. The toy includes a drive mechanism that can move a housing in either a first direction or a second direction. The toy also includes a sensor that can be used to remotely sense an object. The sensor and drive mechanisms are coupled to a controller that can change the direction of the housing when the object is remotely sensed through the sensor.
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Fisher Raymond Earl
Foster George
Gardner Roger
Rudell Elliot A.
Irell & Manella LLP
Muir D. Neal
Rudell Elliot A.
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