Sound and action key with recognition capabilities

Details Sound and action key with recognition capabilities Sound and action key with recognition capabilities

1999-08-23

2001-01-09

Rimell, Sam (Department: 3712)

Amusement devices: toys

Figure toy or accessory therefor

Having sounding means

C446S298000, C446S397000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06171168

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to an apparatus for interfacing with and recognizing an object. More particularly, upon recognition, the apparatus generates sounds, movements or lights appropriate to the object, the object's movement or its environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the toy industry, there are many occasions where it is highly desirable for an object to incorporate electronics which enhance that object's functionality, for example, by making sounds, turning on lights or moving the object's movable elements. Adding such functionality to a toy, however, adds significant cost, sometimes to the extent that of making such a toy not commercially viable.
It is known that physical objects may be encoded in some way, for example, by mechanical, electronic, optical, other means or a combination thereof, to cause one or more sound messages relating to that item to be generated when the encoded object is placed in contact with or near a means for reading the code. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,648,753, 4,348,191, 5,314,436, 4,729,564, 3,343,281, 4,392,053, 4,820,233, 5,607,336, and 4,923,428. Such devices are also known to be quite costly and, therefore, not commercially viable in the toy industry.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a simple inexpensive object, such as a toy, with a means for generating sounds, signals and/or movements appropriate to the objects identity or environment without the need for expensive electronic components being incorporated into the object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, these purposes, as well as others which will be apparent, are .achieved generally by providing a single device for controlling the sounds, movements, actions and lights of a plurality of inexpensive objects. More particularly, a device for providing sound and/or movement capabilities to a plurality of objects comprises an object detection means for detecting an identity of each of the objects and producing an identity signal, a movement detection means for detecting a plurality of movements by any of the objects and producing a movement signal, a sound storage means for storing one or a plurality of sounds associated with any of the objects and any of the movements, a sound playback means for receiving the identity signal and/or the movement signal from the object and movement detection means and for accessing and generating a selected sound in the sound storage means responsive to the identity signal and/or the movement signal, and a speaker means for amplifying and audibly emitting the selected sound.
The identity signal and the movement signal are produced when the device is in contact with, or in a position remote to, the objects.
The object detection means of the device comprises an object sensor means for sensing an identity code associated with each of the objects. The identity code and the sensor means may be mechanical, electrical, infrared, radio frequency, sound, optical, magnetic, electromagnetic, pneumatic, vibration, capacitive or inductive.
The movement detection means of the device comprises a movement sensor means for sensing a movement code associated with each of the movements. The movement sensor means and the movement code may be mechanical, electrical, infra-red, radio frequency, sound, optical, magnetic, pneumatic, vibration, capacitive or inductive.
The sound storage means of the device may be an integrated circuit having either playback-only, or alternatively record and playback features. The playback features may be activated automatically or manually.
The device may include motor means for providing a drive force to one or more movable element(s) on any of the objects. The drive force is generated in response to the identity signal and/or movement signal.
The device may include means to detect one or more secondary objects and the appropriate secondary identities and then produce secondary identity signals. Such a device may also produce a secondary identity signal when the object comes into contact with at least one secondary object.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention are considered in conjunction with the drawings which should be construed in an illustrative and not limiting sense as follows:


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