Amusement devices: toys – Figure toy or accessory therefor – Having sounding means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2001-03-06
Rimell, Sam (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Figure toy or accessory therefor
Having sounding means
C446S081000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196893
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toys and, more particularly, to a toy having a personalized voice message stored therein for selective playback and a system for remote recording of such voice message.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is not uncommon for people to send personalized messages to children or other loved ones when away from home. As such, toys and stuffed animals capable of recording and playing back voice messages have become increasingly popular.
Over the last several years, many different types of toys which enable the recording and playback of voice messages have been developed. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,468,172, 5,279,514, 5,184,971 and 5,489,231 disclose various different types of toys having means for recording a voice message, memory means for storing the voice message and means for selectively playing back the recorded voice message.
Although useful for their intended purposes, these prior art devices have not proven to be entirely satisfactory. Specifically, these devices typically will continuously replay the message as long as the activation switch is depressed. This often poses a problem with children who tend to hold the switch in the depressed position, thereby replaying the message over and over and draining the batteries. Additionally, it is not uncommon for the switch to become depressed when storing the device, again causing the message to be replayed over and over until the batteries are fully drained. Another problem with the prior art devices is their excessive current draw, which further drains the batteries, thereby shortening their useful life. Also, these prior art devices are specifically designed to record the voice message via recording means in the device. Consequently, a person desiring to send a personalized voice message in these devices must purchase and physically take possession of the device, manually record the message by speaking directly into the device and then package and mail the device to its intended recipient. This process can be very time consuming, thereby dissuading people from doing it.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a toy having means for preventing continuous replaying of the recorded message when the activation switch is held down and which reduces the amount of current drawn, thereby preventing excessive drain on the batteries and extending their useful life. Any such device should enable the purchaser to purchase, record the message and have the device shipped to the desired recipient from any remote location without having to take physical possession of the device. The present invention is particularly suited to overcome those problems which remain in the art in a manner not previously known.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed towards a new and improved toy having a personalized voice message stored therein for selective playback comprising a toy, such as a stuffed animal or other toy having an internal cavity, and a message storage and playback device. The message storage and playback device is structured for placement within the internal cavity of the toy and includes at least one memory portion having a voice message stored therein and a playback portion. The playback portion includes an audio output circuit and a transducer, structured to retrieve the voice message from the desired memory portions and audibly output the voice message, and a control circuit, structured to limit play back of the voice message so that the voice message is only played back once each time the switch is actuated and minimize the current drawn by the playback portion to prolong the useful life of the batteries. The toy also includes means for remote recording of a voice message in one of its memory portions. Such means comprises a computer interconnected with the public telephone system and having means for receiving a voice message from the public telephone system and converting the voice message into a digital signal, a hard drive for storing the digital signal and means for retrieving the digital signal from the hard drive and downloading it to one of the memory portions of the message storage and playback device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toy having a personalized voice message therein for selective playback which has all the advantages of the prior art devices and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a device which prevents continuous replaying of the recorded message when the activation switch is held down.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a device which reduces the amount of current drawn, thereby preventing excessive drain on the batteries and extending their useful life.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for remote recording of a personalized voice message into a toy, thereby enabling the purchaser to purchase, record the message and have the device shipped to the desired recipient from any remote location without having to take physical possession of the device.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a system which enables remote recording of the voice message via the telephone system.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent in the description which follows.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4249338 (1981-02-01), Wexler
patent: 4878871 (1989-11-01), Noto
patent: 4930148 (1990-05-01), Lee
patent: 5029214 (1991-07-01), Hollander
patent: 5059149 (1991-10-01), Stone
patent: 5184971 (1993-02-01), Williams
patent: 5279514 (1994-01-01), Lacombe et al.
patent: 5376038 (1994-12-01), Arad et al.
patent: 5393257 (1995-02-01), Spector
patent: 5468172 (1995-11-01), Basile
patent: 5489231 (1996-02-01), Leyser
patent: 5648999 (1997-07-01), Easterling et al.
Berger Kate
Casola Robert
Rimell Sam
Saccocio P.A. Richard M.
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