Amusement devices: toys – Figure toy or accessory therefor – Having sounding means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2004-05-04
Banks, Derris H. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Figure toy or accessory therefor
Having sounding means
C446S302000, C434S393000, C463S042000, C340S573100, C340S870030, C340S010410
Reexamination Certificate
active
06729934
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a system of communication between characters at a theme park. The inventors have created a plush toy that interacts audibly and verbally in response to fixed stimuli, within a controlled and enhanced environment to appear intelligent.
Currently in the field of art, there are interactive plush toys that react to other similar plush toys. There have also been interactive plush toys that interact with television shows. There have been interactive plush toys that interact with personal computers. To date there are no interactive plush toys that interact with human beings within a controlled environment and respond or react to pre-programmed stimuli within a controlled environment. There are no interactive plush toys that have the combined features of interaction, memory, personalized speech and intelligence within an environment as well as the ability to perform functions such as play games interactively with a human being.
The interactive toys have not interacted within an environment that can be traveled through. No other interactive toy has performed intelligently within its surroundings and in response to those surroundings. No other interactive toy has committed experiences of an environment to memory for recall at a later date. No other interactive toy has combined the expanse of features of this invention.
2. Description of the Background Art
A visit to a theme park can be a very important vacation for a child, which will include preparation for the visit to heighten expectations and improve the quality of the visit. This invention responds to a need to enhance to a greater degree the interaction that a child has with a theme park to improve the child's experience at the theme park and to increase the desire to return to the theme park. Depending upon the age of the child, the degree of involvement that the child feels with the characters at the theme park as well as the fixed features within the theme park environment, will improve the experience for the child. The purpose of this invention is to increase the enjoyment and excitement experienced by a child upon a visit to a theme park.
There are various features of the theme park environment which are fixed, which do not move and with which there can be some pre-arranged electronic device embedded within the feature which will react with a mobile device with which it comes in contact. This reaction will be in the form of a verbal communication between the fixed feature of the environment and a mobile device such as a plush toy held by a child visiting the park. The content of the interaction can be in the form of information to assist a visitor in finding another location or to assist a visitor in experiencing to a greater degree the attraction relative to the feature with which the plush toy is interacting.
Personal electronic devices have been designed and an example is such is as set forth in the Albukerk patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,848) which receive IR (infrared) signals from objects or exhibits in a facility. In the case of Albukerk, the facility is most likely a museum. These signals identify which object is closest to the device. The device then pulls information about that object from its internal memory and provides audio feedback to the user about the object. The Albukerk device is designed to enhance the experience of museum viewer to the museum display. Albukerk also teaches personal devices that can be linked via infrared so that one device can operate as the master device. This master device can receive object identification information and pass that information on to other personal devices. Similarly, prior art, specifically Rose (U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,030) teaches devices (dolls) which communicate with similar devices via RF (radio frequency) in order to stimulate an intelligent conversation between two or more dolls. The Interactive Character System interacts within a theme park environment, an exterior environment, not within one particular building. The plush toy character in the interactive plush concept will receive identification information about a specific location within a theme park. The location could be the park's main entrance, a particular ride or attraction's main entrance, or a section or part of a ride. Some of these places within the theme park will be within facilities and some will be outdoors within the theme park grounds. The Interactive Character System can also receive information relative to timing within a ride. For example, in the event that most of a particular ride takes place within one main location, for example an elevator, one transmitter within the elevator can transmit different signals to let the devices know which feature of the ride is occurring. The combination of place and time signals can allow the device to provide anticipatory information to the user such as “We're at the pirates of the Caribbean” or “Hold on, there's a waterfall up ahead”.
The interactive plush character toy will also receive infrared (line of sight) and radio frequency (non-line of sight) transmissions. This will allow the device to react more intelligently. Infrared signals will be used to let the user know about objects or places within the user's eyesight. For example, it will exclaim “look at the dancing bears” in response to receiving a transmission from the dancing bears. Radio frequency signals will be used to let the user know about objects or places that lie ahead. For example, the device will “see” a waterfall that is around a corner and is not yet visible to the child and react by saying something like, “There's a waterfall coming up.”
Unlike Albukerk, the Interactive Character Systems allows the user to own the interactive plush devices, which gives rise to additional possibilities for communication not found in prior art. The device, being the toy, will learn about the facility as the user tours by storing identification information in its memory for future use.
The interactive plush character in the current invention will also send communications between other personal devices, but unlike the type of communications referred to the Albukerk patent (used to spread information about objects in a particular facility), the interactive plush concept will use this electronic communication to simulate an oral communication between multiple devices or characters. This type of interdevice communication is not found in Albukerk. It is also unlike Rose in that it will make use of both infrared and radio frequency communication to seem more intelligent than the Rose dolls. It is also an improvement over the Rose invention in that the interactive plush character can have the owner's name in memory. The interactive plush character can then make direct references to its owner during conversation between two or more characters. For example, “Hi Mickey, this is my friend Billy.” The interactive plush character can “learn” about its environment and introduce that knowledge into its play pattern. None of the communication that occurs in the prior art is triggered by environmental stimuli. So, the interactive plush character can appear to “learn” from “seeing” and “doing.” The prior art cannot accomplish this.
The Interactive Character System includes communication between the device, the small plush character and large mobile characters that move throughout the theme park. This type of communication will be similar to the device communication in that it can simulate a conversation between characters. The communication in the current invention will not be between two similar devices but instead between the plush character owned by the child and a large mobile character owned by the theme park. It will also be quite different in that it can help the child owner to locate by using radio frequency communication the large mobile characters within the park. This feature is completely unique.
The present invention will allow the child/owner to program its own name into its memory. This allows the character to refer
Driscoll Robert W.
Kristoffy Peter
Wood Edward
Banks Derris H.
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Greenberg Trauring LLP
Maddux Margo
Miller Bena B.
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