Amusement devices: toys – Having light-or sound-responsive switch or control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-29
2002-05-28
Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: toys
Having light-or sound-responsive switch or control
C446S297000, C446S300000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394872
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toy used to enjoy conversation or an embodied voice responsive toy designed to facilitate mind communication through voice.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, toys moving their arms and legs or their heads in response to voice are popular. For example, “Interactive talking toy” disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,428 can be cited. These execute a specific pattern motion or a combination of plurality motions in accordance with voice, and do not produce a motion pattern as a communication motion (motion for facilitating communication to a person or enhancing intimacy). However, they make a favorable impression on a youth living alone in a city apartment building or an apartment where to have a pet of an animal or the like is not permitted, especially on a lady, and at present, many such toys are sold.
Similarly, as a toy using voice, there is a message device which records and reproduces a voice. This toy reproduces a previously recorded talker's voice, with a motion of a robot, to facilitate mind communication. This solves a temporal distance by the voice. Such use of voice is also seen as message means in which a cassette tape recording a voice is exchanged, though it is not a toy. As compared with communication by only words, since an actual voice of a transmitter is transmitted, more smooth or intimate communication than a letter can be realized. This solves a spatial distance by voice.
The toy responding to voice has a significance as a tranquilizer for a person living alone, and the response of the toy is important. However, since such a conventional toy merely repeats a motion in proportion to the magnitude of amplitude by using the voice as a simple input, there has been a problem that it is difficult to empathize. Mind communication using voice is excellent in that both parties separated in distance or time are made not to feel distance or time and smooth or intimate communication is realized. However, in such mind communication means, a talker or listener must talk toward a robot thrashing its arms and legs, and there has been a defect that it is difficult to give his or her whole mind into voice. Then investigation has been made on means for facilitating empathy for a toy using voice, such as a toy used to enjoy conversation or a toy designed to facilitate mind communication through voice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As a result of the investigation, there has been developed an embodied voice responsive toy which is constructed by a voice input-output portion, a voice responsive pseudo-person, and a pseudo-person control portion, the voice input-output portion serves to input voice from the outside or output voice to the outside, the pseudo-person control portion determines an action of the voice responsive pseudo-person from the voice passing through the voice input-output portion and to actuate the voice responsive pseudo-person. This embodied voice responsive toy may be constructed by adding a data input-output portion and a data conversion portion to the voice input-output portion, in which the data input-output portion serves to input data other than voice from the outside or output data other than voice to the outside, and the data conversion portion performs mutual conversion of the data other than the voice and the voice to transfer the voice to the voice input-output portion. The data input-output portion inputs and outputs data capable of synthesizing voice, which is input other than voice. Although the pseudo-person control portion determines the action of a robot from the voice, if the conversion of the data to a signal (sound) based on the voice can be made, it is not necessarily required to be able to recognize the meaning. The data conversion portion serves to perform the mutual conversion between such data and voice or sound. The voice or sound synthesized from the data is sent through the voice input-output portion to the pseudo-person control portion.
Although it is preferable that the voice responsive pseudo-person has a form imitating a human being, a personified animal or plant, other inorganic object, imaginary creature or object may be used. As described later, since the present invention produces an action to cause a human talker or listener to own the rhythm of conversation jointly, that is, a communication motion in accordance with ON/OFF of voice, as long as such action is performed, the pseudo-listener or pseudo-talker may be originally an inorganic vehicle or building, or other imaginary creature or object. Rather a deformed object, building or the like is preferable since it strengthens the side as an intimate toy. The listener control portion or talker control portion is constructed by a computer. As to a robot, a driving circuit is connected to a computer (or a dedicated processing chip, etc.) and control and driving is made. The computer constructs the voice input-output portion, the data input-output portion, and the data conversion portion in hardware or software, and it is also easy to change control specification.
Specifically, (1) the voice responsive pseudo-person is a listener robot, the pseudo-person control portion is a listener control portion, the listener robot makes an action of nodding of a head, opening and closing of a mouth, blinking of an eye, or gesturing of a body in response to the voice, and the listener control portion determines the action of the listener robot on the basis of the voice passing through the voice input-output portion and activates the listener robot.
Besides, (2) the voice responsive pseudo-person is a talker robot, the pseudo-person control portion is a talker control portion, the talker robot makes head motion, opening and closing of a mouth, blinking of an eye, or gesturing of a body in response to the voice, and the talker control portion determines the action of the talker robot on the basis of the voice passing through the voice input-output portion and activates the talker robot.
Further, (3) the voice responsive pseudo-person is a shared robot of a listener and a talker, the pseudo-person control portion is listener and talker control portions, the shared robot makes an action of nodding of a head, head motion, opening and closing of a mouth, blinking of an eye, or gesturing of a body in response to the voice, the listener control portion determines the action of the shared robot as a listener on the basis of the voice passing through the voice input-output portion and activates the shared robot, and the talker control portion determines the action of the shared robot as a talker on the basis of the voice passing through the voice input-output portion and activates the shared robot.
Even if a pseudo-listener or a pseudo-talker is displayed on a display portion by an animation or the like instead of a robot, the basic operation and effect of the present invention are not changed. As the pseudo-listener or pseudo-talker displayed on the display portion, a synthesized picture responding by using a real picture, CG (Computer Graphic) newly forming a picture or an animation can be used. In the case where a computer is used for the listener control portion or the talker control portion, the computer synthesizes the synthesized picture, CG or animation, and displays the motion picture on the display portion of the computer.
In the case where the foregoing display portion is used, specifically, (4) the voice responsive pseudo-person is a listener display portion displaying a listener, the pseudo-person control portion is a listener control portion, the listener display portion displays a pseudo-listener, which makes an action of nodding of a head, opening and closing of a mouth, blinking of an eye, or gesturing of a body in response to the voice, on the listener display portion, and the listener control portion determines the action of the pseudo-listener on the basis of the voice passing through the voice input-output portion and moves the pseudo-listener displayed on the listener display portion.
Alternatively,
Ogawa Hiroki
Watanabe Tomio
Harrison Jessica J.
Inter Robot Inc.
Koda & Androlia
Rada, II Alex F. R. P.
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