Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-28
2004-08-10
Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
C463S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06773344
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computerized toys.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Interactive toys are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,752,880, 6,022,273 and 6,075,195 to Gabai et al. They are further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,994 to Tong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,602 to Kikinis, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,483 to Compaq.
They are further described in the following published PCT Patent Applications filed by applicant, entitled Interactive Doll, WO 97/18871; Apparatus Methods for Controlling Household Appliances WO 98/43456; Programmable Assembly Toy WO 98/52667; Controllable Toy Operative with Audio Player, WO 98/53567; Techniques and Apparatus for Entertainment Sites, Amusement Parks and Other Information and/or Entertainment Dispensing Sites, WO 99/08762; Interactive Talking Toy, WO 99/10065; and Interactive Toy WO 99/54015.
The disclosure of all publications accessible to the public, mentioned in the specification, and of the publications cited therein, are hereby incorporated by reference.
REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
Interactive toys are described in U.S. Patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/975,347, 09/061,481, 09/081,889, 09/062,499, and 09/081,255.
They are also described in U.S. Patent Application No. 60/208390 entitled “Networked interactive toy apparatus operative to promote sales”. They are also described in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Cell-phone toy” No. 60/189914, “Secure systems for interactive toys” No. 60/189,915, and “A system and method for the promotion of shopping” No. 60/189,916, “User manual for interactive development environment (IDE) for living object technology” No. 60/191,300, and “User club and user shop for toys incorporating living objects technology” No. 60/190,874, and four U.S. provisional applications entitled: “A system method and service for the promotion of entertainment and other media and selling associated products, through interactive toys” No. 60/192,014 and “Networked interactive toys (“living objects”) as a novel entertainment medium” No. 60/192,013.
They are further described in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Language teaching with toys” No. 60/192,012, and “Corrective toys” No. 60/192,011, and U.S. provisional applications entitled “Customer price selection shopping (reverse auction) with networked interactive toys” No. 60,193,699, “Billing for t-commerce” No. 60/193,702, “Interactive toy as verbal directory inquiry service (yellow pages)” No. 60,193,704, “Auctioning with networked interactive toys” No. 60,193,704; and “Networked interactive toys as a search engine” No. 60,193,697, and U.S. provisional applications entitled “Networked interactive toys providing medical services” No. 60/195,865, “Interactive toy as verbal diary (voice diary)” No. 60/195,862, “One word buy” filed Apr. 7
th
, 2000, “Interactive verbal advertising” No. 60/195,861, and “Collectibles” No. 60/195,864.
They are further described in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Storyteller I” No. 60/197,579, and in four other U.S. provisional applications entitled “Credit point system for use with networked interactive toys” No. 60/197,579, “Database for networked interactive toys” No. 60/197,576, “Networked interactive toy as coach and trainer” No. 60/197,578, and “Teaching knowledge with networked interactive toys” No. 60/197,577, and in other U.S. provisional applications “Music via networked interactive toys” No. 60/200,640, “Interactive toy controlled by a Networked Computer Via Interactive Television, Cable Modem, Or Other Method Of Network Connection” No. 60/200,647, “Cloning Networked Interactive Toys” No. 60/200,641, “Gambling via Networked Interactive Toys” No. 60/200,513, and “Storyteller Content III” No. 60/200,508, and four U.S. provisional applications entitled “R & D via Networked Interactive Toys” No. 60/203,244, and “Networked Interactive Toy Upgrades PC” No. 60/203,175.
They are further described in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Networked Interactive Toys as Aides/Aids To The Handicapped” No. 60/203,182 and “Networked Interactive Toy Help User To Sell/Buy” No. 60/203,177, and in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Charities via Networked Interactive Toys” No. 60/204,201, “Pay Content For Items Such As News, Weather, TV, Films and Diet Via Networked Interactive Toys” No. 60/204,200, and in the following U.S. provisional applications, “Storyteller II” No. 197,573, “Web TV” No. 60/200,647 and “Networked Interactive Toy As Tour Guide” No. 60/207,128.
They are further described in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Interactive Toy Presentation May 2000” No. 60/208,105, “Networked Interactive Toy With Video Camera” No. 60/208,391, “Cable-Toy” No. 60/208,392, “Sales Promotion With Interactive Toys” No. 60/208,390, “Integration Of Interactive Toys And Interactive Television Systems” No. 60/209,471, “Interactive Toys Controlled by Networked Computer, via Interactive Television, Cable Modem, or other Networked Connection” No. 60/200,647, “Authoring Tool and Simulator for Networked Interactive Toys” filed on Jun. 18, 2000, and “Enhanced Networked Interactive Doll” No. 60/210,445.
They are further described in U.S. provisional applications entitled “Changeable Form Toy” No. 60/210,44, “Self-recharging toy” filed on Jul. 2, 2000, and “Integrating Home Entertainment and Home Automation Systems with Interactive Toys” sent for filing on Jul. 2, 2000.
They are further described in a U.S. provisional application entitled “Speech Processing Method and Apparatus for Interactive Toys” sent for filing on Jul. 10, 2000.
They are further described in a U.S. provisional application entitled “Gaming with Networked Interactive Toys” sent for filing on Jul. 16, 2000.
They are further described in a U.S. provisional application entitled “Method of Delivery of Customized Toy Content”, sent for filing on Jul. 21, 2000.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An interactive toy system, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,880, to Gabai et al., includes a toy with one or many sensors and actuators including a microphone and a speaker, and connected, via a wireless connection to a computer which is usually a Personal Computer which runs programs to control the toy including interactive programs in which the commands sent to the toy by the computer depend partly or wholly on previous communication from the toy to the computer. In systems such as described above, the computer is preferably connected to a computer network such as the Internet and it is thus connected to many other computers including those which many be controlling additional toys.
As a result of the advent of reliable high speed network connections it is no longer necessary for an interactive toy to be controlled by a computer to which it is directly connected, for example, by a wireless link as described in the previous paragraph. Thus, for example, a toy may be connected to a home computer via a wireless link (as above) but the home computer may not provide some or all of the controlling commands for the toy. Some or all of the toy control commands may be provided by one or more additional computers on a computer network such as a local intranet or the Internet. This (i.e. the partial or full control of a toy by a remote computer) may be desirable if, for example, the home computer is not very powerful and/or it is being heavily used by other users and/or if the software for controlling toys is not present on such a local home computer and/or if more powerful software for controlling a toy is available on another computer on the network and/or if access to specific or all software for controlling a toy is commercially controlled and available primarily or entirely via the Internet and/or if a local computer is unavailable as is the case, for example, if a toy uses a cellular phone connection to connect to the Internet and/or for any other reason.
In a case in which one or more network computers control the operation of a toy it is no longer necessary to use a home or other local computer. This allows toy owners who do not have available a personal or o
Gabai Jacob
Gabai Oz
Sanlerman Nimrod
Weiss Nathan
Abelman ,Frayne & Schwab
Creator Ltd.
Enatsky Aaron L.
Walberg Teresa
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