WO2001058552A1

WO2001058552A1 - Interacting toy figure for computer users

Info

Publication number: WO2001058552A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/002552
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Trageser
Original assignee: Mattel, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-02-11
Filing date: 2001-01-25
Publication date: 2001-08-16
Also published as: DE60112400T2; ES2247058T3; EP1250179B1; EP1250179A4; CA2391919A1; EP1250179A1; AU3116301A; DE60112400D1; AU780756B2; ATE300984T1; MXPA02005373A

Abstract

An interactive toy (figure 1) coupled to a conventional computer (20). The computer includes a monitor (26), a display screen (27), a keyboard (24), a mouse (25), a processor (21), CD drive (22) and a compact disk (23). The interactive toy figure has a base (12), a body (11), a pair of arms (14 and 15), a neck (15), and a head (16). The head further includes a pair of eyes (17 and 18) having pupils (30 and 31) which are composed of LEDs (32 and 33). The interactive toy figure is connected to the computer by a tether (34).

Description

INTERACTING TOY FIGURE FOR COMPUTER USERS

SPECIFICATION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to computer systems and particularly to interactive devices used in combination therewith.

Background of the Invention

The use of computers to play various types of games or indulge in other game and amusement activities has become vary well known and constitutes a substantial portion of non-commercial use of computers. Games have been provided which employ various media for communicating the game to the computer such as magnetic tape cartridges, CD ROM disk based games, and more recently developed internet download game capabilities. The basic function of such games is to provide a ready source for the game operation and rules. The use of internet capability to communicate game rules to a particular computer raises the further potential for interactive games between remotely located game players. The basic idea of such games is relatively simple in that the game rules and game play patterns are imputed to the computer for processing and for control of game play. Thereafter, the user participating in the game play interacts with the computer by providing various responses and inputs . In addition to game play activities based upon software loaded into the computer by various media, additional development by computer based games has been directed toward providing peripheral devices which communicate with the computer and the user and which operate in an interactive manner to enhance the operation of the game play. Examples of such interactive devices have been found in various apparatus such as dolls or toy figures which are coupled to the computer using a hard wired tether or alternatively using transmission and reception of radio frequency waves or inferred energy.

While such games utilizing interactive devices and computer based game play have become highly evolved and often complex, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting and amusing interactive devices such as dolls or toy figures.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved interacting toy figure for computer users. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provided an improved interacting toy figure for computer user's which is substantially more amusing and entertaining in its operation.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an interacting toy figure and computer in combination, the combination comprising: a computer having a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse and a communication port; a toy figure having a body, a pair of arms, a neck, a head, a mouth and first and second eyes; a mouth illumination element supported behind the mouth; first and second pluralities of illuminatable pupils in the first and second eyes respectively; motor means within the body for moving the head and arms; control means within the body for controlling the motor means and the first and second pluralities of illuminatable pupils; and a tether coupling the control means to the communication port.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and in which:

Figure 1 sets forth a perspective view of an interacting toy figure for computer user's constructed in accordance with the present invention together with a typical computer;

Figure 2 sets forth a partially section front view of the present invention interacting toy figure for computer user ' s ; Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Figure 1 sets forth a front perspective view of an interacting toy figure constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally referenced by numeral 10. Figure 1 also shows a conventional computer generally referenced by numeral 20 fabricated in accordance with conventional fabrication techniques and having a processor unit 21 supporting a CD ROM drive 22 and a monitor 26. Monitor 26 includes a display screen 27 upon which images are formed in accordance with conventional fabrication techniques. Computer 20 further includes a keyboard 24 and a mouse 25 both operatively couple to processor unit 21 and both operative to provide user inputs to computer 20. A CD ROM disk 23 is shown being installed within drive 22. CD ROM disk 23 provides a software input to computer 20 which includes a set of game and/or activity rules related to the operation of figure 10.

Figure 10 is preferably formed of a molded plastic material or the like and defines a body 11 supported upon a base 12. Body 11 further supports a pair of rotatably mounted arms 13 and 14 together with an upwardly extending neck 15. A head 16 having a pair of eyes 17 and 18 is supported upon neck 15. A mouth 19 is formed upon the frontal portion of head 16 and supports a light emitting diode 35 therein.

In accordance with the present invention, eyes 17 and 18 are fabricated to provide a plurality of alternatively illuminatable light emitting diode pupils. In the preferred fabrication of the present invention, the pupils of eyes 17 and 18 are illuminated in pairs (one for each eye) to give the appearance of having figure 10 looking in a particular direction. Thus, in the example shown in Figure 1, pupils 30 and 31 are illuminated giving eyes 17 and 18 the appearance of looking directly ahead.

Alternatively, for example, figure 10 may be made to appear to look downwardly and to its right by illuminating alternative pupils 32 and 33 shown in dash-line representation. The complete set of alternative pupils formed in eyes 17 and 18 is illustrated in Figure 2 below. However, suffice it to note here, that selective pupil pairs may be energized to provide a complete range of eye motion or eye attention direction.

In further accordance with the present invention, mouth 19 supports a light emitting diode 35 within head 16 directly behind mouth 19 which when illuminated gives an appearance of mouth activity. A tether 34 is operatively coupled between toy figure 10 and a selected port of processor unit 21 (not shown) . For example, tether 34 may couple to an unused parallel port or the so-called serial port or game port (not shown) .

In operation, the user installs CD ROM 23 within drive 22 and thereafter plays various game or informational activities interacting with computer 20 via keyboard 24 and mouse 25. In accordance with the present invention, figure 10 is animated periodically by signals communicated from computer 20 to figure 10 using tether 34. In the example of the present invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, figure 10 utilizes mouth illumination as well as selective pupil illumination eyes 17 and 18 to facilitate interaction. Additionally, sounds are produced by figure 10 utilizing conventional sound producing circuitry (seen in Figure 2) . Finally, arms 13 and 14 are pivotally supported upon body 11 and are rotated in response to a motor drive unit (seen in Figure 2).

Figure 2 sets forth a partially section front view of the present invention interacting toy figure. As described above, figure 10 includes a body 11 supported upon a base 12 and having arms 13 and 14 secured thereto. As is also described above, toy figure 10 includes a neck 15 supporting a head 16 which in turn includes a mouth 19 and eyes 17 and 18. A pair of pupils 30 and 31 formed of light emitting diodes are shown illuminated in eyes 17 and 18.

In further accordance with the present invention, body 11 defines an interior cavity 42 within which a sound and controller circuit 43 is supported. Base 12 supports a plurality of batteries such as batteries 40 and 41 which are operatively coupled to sound and controller circuit 43 by a plurality of wires 47. Sound and controller circuit 43 is fabricated in accordance with conventional fabrication techniques and includes an integrated circuit sound device 45 together with a motor controller 44. Additional electronic components are shown as part of sound and controller circuit 43. A speaker 46 is operatively coupled to sound circuit 45 by a plurality of wires 49.

Arms 13 and 14 are rotatably coupled to body 11 by a pair of shafts 70 and 71 respectively. Shafts 70 and 71 support respective bevel gears 72 and 73. Neck 15 supports a neck shaft 75 which extends upwardly through neck 15 and is coupled to head 16. Neck shaft 75 further supports a gear segment 74.

A motor 50 is operatively coupled to controller circuit 43 by wires 51 and includes an output gear 60. Output gear 60 engages a gear 61 supported upon a shaft 62. Shaft 62 further supports bevel gears 63 and 64. Gears 63 and 64 respectively engage gears 72 and 73 of arms 13 and 14.

Head 16 further supports eyes 17 and 18 which as described above support a plurality of alternative sets of illuminatable pupils used to simulate movement or change in direction of gaze on the part of toy figure 10. In the preferred fabrication of the present invention, the alternative pupils formed in eyes 17 and 18 are provided by light emitting diodes. Similarly, a light emitting diode 35 is supported behind mouth 19 and when energized gives the appearance of mouth movement.

Eye 17 supports a plurality of alternative pupils 110 through 121 while eye 18 supports an alternative set of pupils 90 through 101. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, eyes 17 and 18 give the appearance of steering straight ahead by illuminating pupils 30 and 31 as shown. Alternatively, illumination of pupils 92 and 121 provides the appearance of toy figure 10 glancing to the figures right side. Conversely, illumination of pupils 110 and 111 gives the appearance of glancing to the figures left side. It will be further noted that sequentially illumination of pupils allows the user to follow the shifting gaze of figure 10. Thus, for example, sequential illumination of pupils 30, 113 and 114 of eye 17 together with pupils 31, 98 and 99 allows the user to observe a shift to a downward glance by figure 10. In this manner, substantial flexibility of apparent eye movement is provided by simple illumination of selected pairs of the figures pupils .

In operation, as the user interacts with computer 20 (seen in Figure 1) signals provided to figure 10 via tether 34 cause energizing motor 50 moving arms 13 and 14 in the manner indicated by arrows 80 and 81. In addition, the engagement of gear 73 with gear segment 74 produces movement of head 16 about neck 15 in the manner indicated by arrows 82. Thus, toy figure 10 interactively moves and speaks in response to signals provided from computer 20 (seen in Figure 1) to toy figure 10 via tether 34.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An interacting toy figure and computer in combination, said combination comprising:

a computer having a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse and a communication port;

a toy figure having a body, a pair of arms, a neck, a head, a mouth and first and second eyes;

a mouth illumination element supported behind said mouth;

first and second pluralities of illuminatable pupils in said first and second eyes respectively ;

motor means within said body for moving said head and arms;

control means within said body for controlling said motor means and said first and second pluralities of illuminatable pupils; and

a tether coupling said control means to said communication port.