Amusement devices: toys – Telephone
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-19
2001-01-30
Rimell, Sam (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Telephone
C446S397000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179682
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to toy telephones for use by children. Such toys are well known in the art and many examples may be found in toy stores. Most models include a base and a removable handset connected to the base by a cord or segment of rope. A number of buttons are generally located on the face of the telephone and a child playing with the telephone may press the various buttons while pretending to use the telephone. The base may also include a cradle for receiving the handset when the phone is not in use, mimicking an actual telephone when the receiver is “on the hook”. The cradle may further include a switch which is actuated when the handset is placed in or removed from the cradle.
In some cases, a toy telephone will produce sounds such as individual musical notes, simple melodies, or even animal sounds, in response to a child pressing the various buttons on the telephone. Furthermore, the switch in the cradle may disable the buttons and sounds when the handset is placed in the cradle, or the cradle switch may cause alternate noises to be sounded when the child presses the buttons with the handset in the cradle. Brief phrases such as “Hello Let's Play!” may be repeated when the toy is turned on, or when the handset is removed from the cradle.
In general, prior art toy phones are just that, toys. They serve no other purpose than to occupy and entertain a child. There is no close correlation between the manner of playing with the toy telephone and the manner of using a real telephone. Thus, the typical toy telephone according the present state of the art does little to educate a child in how to use a telephone.
It is prudent to teach children the rudimentary aspects of using a telephone at an early age not only for educational purposes, but also for safety reasons. News stories abound wherein a child calls 911 in response to a domestic emergency and a family tragedy is averted thanks to the child's knowledge of how to call for emergency assistance. It is also important for children to learn their own telephone number, or that of a relative, at as early an age as possible so that parents or relatives can be contacted in case a problem occurs while the child is away from the home. Unfortunately, toy telephones according to the present state of the toy telephone art do not address these concerns.
Because play serves an important role in child development and learning, a toy telephone represents the ideal platform for educating children how to use a telephone. It would be desirable to introduce through a toy telephone fundamental telephone skills such as dialing 911 or a child's home telephone number, as well as to familiarize a child with other telephone concepts such as dial tone, the busy signal, and a ringing telephone. To achieve these early educational goals, a toy telephone that mimics the operation of a real telephone is required. Such an educational telephone should include a standard numbered keypad similar to that found on most phones and should operate on similar principles. For example, the keypad should be functional only when the handset is removed from the cradle and the phone should be responsive when proper emergency numbers and/or a child's home telephone number is entered. An appropriate positive response from the telephone when these various important numbers are correctly entered into the keypad will help to ingrain these numbers in the child's memory and will enhance the child's enjoyment of the toy. Further, if the numbers entered into the keypad are displayed as they are entered, a child will learn to associate the pressing of a particular button with a certain positive result. As the child's skill in using a telephone increases, the child will soon associate entire strings of numbers entered into the keypad as complete telephone numbers viewed on the display.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the background given above, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a toy telephone adapted to teach children the rudimentary aspects of using a telephone.
Another other object of the invention is to provide an educational toy telephone, which teaches a child to dial 911 in the event of an emergency.
A further object of the invention is to provide an educational toy telephone which teaches a child how to reach an operator.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an educational toy telephone which facilitates teaching a child his or her own home telephone number.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy telephone which teaches basic aspects of telephone usage in an engaging and entertaining manner so as to hold the attention of an easily distracted child.
All of these objects, as well as others which will become apparent upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, are met by the teaching telephone disclosed herein.
The teaching telephone of the present invention includes a base unit and a removable handset. The base unit includes a cradle for receiving the handset. A switch located within the cradle provides indication whether the handset has or has not been removed from the base. The base further includes a numeric keypad similar to that found on most standard telephones. The keypad includes a plurality of pushbutton switches including buttons designated 0 through 9 as well as symbols “#” and “*”. Additional buttons located on the face of the toy telephone base include two “Speed Dial” buttons, a program button, a record button, and a power on/off button. A liquid crystal display is also located on the base of the toy telephone along with a speaker and a microphone.
The pushbuttons on the face of the toy telephone and the cradle switch are all connected as inputs to a microprocessor located on a printed circuit board mounted within the base. In addition to receiving the pushbutton inputs, the microprocessor drives the liquid crystal display and interfaces with other components, which record, store, and play back audio messages. In the preferred embodiment of the invention these additional components comprise a message recorder and a separate message controller.
The microprocessor receives input data in the form of both sequential and contemporaneous pushbutton entries manually entered on the keypad and other buttons located on the faceplate. In response to this input data, the microprocessor generates output signals which control the display and the meaasge controller. In the preferred embodiment, the microprocessor controls the message recorder indirectly through the message controller, however, alternate embodiments are possible wherein the microprocessor controls the message recorder directly, or indirectly through a circuit component other than the message controller.
The control signals generated by the microprocessor in response to various input sequences initiate various operating functions of the toy telephone. Among the functions performed by the teaching telephone of the preferred embodiment are the recording of a personalized message, and the programming of a user's telephone number. These functions allow a parent or supervisory adult to program a child's home telephone number into the toy telephone and record a greeting or congratulatory message to be played back when the child correctly enters the programmed number. Thus, the toy telephone will help a child learn the programmed telephone number by providing positive reinforcement whenever the correct number is entered into the keypad. Thus, when a child dials her home telephone number to talk to her mother or father, the teaching telephone can be configured to answer in the voice of the child's mother or father voice, thereby providing strong positive reinforcement that the child is using the telephone correctly. Later the telephone can be re-configured to teach other telephone numbers such as the child's grandmother's telephone number. Again, if the child correctly enters Grandmother's telephone
Kim Wai Hing
Plain Barbara
Siu Yau Chung
Laff, Whitesel & Saret, Inc.
Learning Resources, Inc.
Rimell Sam
LandOfFree
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