WO2001069799A2 - Procedes et appareils d'integration de jouets interactifs a des systemes de communications cellulaires et de television interactive - Google Patents

Procedes et appareils d'integration de jouets interactifs a des systemes de communications cellulaires et de television interactive Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001069799A2
WO2001069799A2 PCT/IL2001/000246 IL0100246W WO0169799A2 WO 2001069799 A2 WO2001069799 A2 WO 2001069799A2 IL 0100246 W IL0100246 W IL 0100246W WO 0169799 A2 WO0169799 A2 WO 0169799A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
toy
network
user
interactive
toys
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IL2001/000246
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2001069799A8 (fr
WO2001069799A3 (fr
Inventor
Oz Gabai
Jacob Gabai
Nimrod Sandlerman
Nathan Weiss
Original Assignee
Creator Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US09/628,664 external-priority patent/US6773344B1/en
Application filed by Creator Ltd. filed Critical Creator Ltd.
Priority to AU39530/01A priority Critical patent/AU3953001A/en
Publication of WO2001069799A2 publication Critical patent/WO2001069799A2/fr
Publication of WO2001069799A3 publication Critical patent/WO2001069799A3/fr
Publication of WO2001069799A8 publication Critical patent/WO2001069799A8/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H3/00—Dolls
    • A63H3/28—Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H30/00—Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles
    • A63H30/02—Electrical arrangements
    • A63H30/04—Electrical arrangements using wireless transmission
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H2200/00—Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to toys, in general, and particularly to toys used in conjunction with a computer system.
  • PCT/IL96/00157 (WO 97/18871); PCT/IL98/00223 (WO 98/53456); PCT/IL98/00224 (WO 98/52667); PCT/IL98/00225 (WO 98/53567); PCT/IL98/00392 (WO 99/08762); PCT/IL98/00406 (WO99/10065); PCT/IL99/00202 (WO99/54015); PCT/IL99/00271 (WO 99/60358); PCT/IL99/00637 (WO 00/31613); PCT/IL00/00130 (WO 00/51697).
  • An interactive toy system as described, for example, in US 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Cable Television systems provide television programming to homes worldwide by connecting televisions in homes to coaxial cables or to satellite dishes which then often use extremely broadband links such as fiber optic links to comiect to the Cable Service Provider.
  • digital data networks are being installed in people's homes at a very high rate either by cable companies themselves using an upgraded digital infrastructure (for transmitting data on coaxial cables) or by telecommunication companies which use packet switching technologies to provide Internet service to subscribers' homes.
  • Full length digital movies may be downloaded from the Internet as can music with CD quality (currently using MP3 or similar compression schemes), as well as a wide range of e-commerce activities.
  • Computers in subscribers' homes are capable of controlling this content. For example they are capable of pausing, rewinding or fast-forwarding a movie.
  • Interactive Television systems such as, for example the system provided by Scientific- Atlanta Inc. as well as by other leading manufacturers of entertainment systems, give viewers a convenient way to interact with programs and advertisements while they continue to watch TV. By clicking a remote control unit during an enhanced program or by use of a cordless keyboard or mouse, a viewer can access progra — elated information such as weather, news, sports updates, trivia and interactive games. A viewer may also request product samples, product descriptions, coupons and other free offers from advertisers as well as using e-commerce facilities to make purchases online.
  • a viewer may use a mouse, keyboard or simply a remote unit to send and receive email and even run any computer application by using programs installed on a server accessible via the interactive television network (which, in fact, connects to the Internet).
  • Interactive Television systems typically use a device called a set-top box which is comiected to a viewer's television set and to the cable provider's network.
  • the network comiection is usually via a coaxial cable although there are systems in which telephone lines are used for outgoing data and coaxial cables for incoming data. Satellite communication as well as fiber optic cables are often utilized as part of the infrastructure of these systems and, in the future, individual homes may be provided with connectivity to fiber optic or other extremely high bandwidth communication lines.
  • An Interactive TV set-top box is equipped with a microprocessor or other computer chip which controls both signals from the service provider and signals coming from a viewer and meant to control entertainment content. Incoming signals are typically received via a remote control unit but may also be received by a cordless keyboard and/or mouse.
  • Set-top boxes are typically provided with serial or USB (Universal Serial Bus) interfaces to enable connection of other electronic devices to the set-top box.
  • a particular embodiment of the current invention describes the integration into this system of yet another powerful entertainment and commercial medium namely the medium of Networked Interactive Toys in which case interactive toys are controlled either totally or partly not by a Personal Computer in a user's home but rather by a computer on a network which is capable of merging the medium of Interactive Television with entertainment, educational and commercial applications of Interactive Toys.
  • a network-controlled toy system operative in conjunction with a first network including a multiplicity of interconnected electronic devices, the system including at least one toy comiected to a first network via at least one of a multiplicity of interconnected electronic devices, thereby to define at least one network-mediated toy- device data link and wherein the individual device is operative to pass on toy behavior control signals operative to at least partly control at least one parameter ofthe behavior of at least one individual toy from among at least one of the toys without adding any level of detail to the toy behavior control signals.
  • the individual device is operative to pass up to the network user inputs received by the toy and the toy behavior control signals are at least partly dependent on the user inputs received by the toy.
  • At least a portion ofthe first network includes a computer network.
  • At least a portion ofthe computer network includes the Internet.
  • At least a portion ofthe first network includes a telephone network.
  • At least one of the toys is connected via a wireless data link to a base station and the base station is comiected to the first network.
  • the base station is operative for data linkage to the first network via a telephone line.
  • At least a portion of the first network includes a cable TV network and the base station is connected to the cable TV network via a cable modem.
  • the base station is comiected to the first network via an interactive television set-top box.
  • the interactive television set-top box includes an interactive satellite television set-top box.
  • an interactive television script controlling the television screen display and the toy, including providing interaction between the television screen display and the toy.
  • a toy-interactive television system including at least one electronically controlled toy devices and an interactive television network including at least one television display, wherein at least one data conmiunication link is defined between the at least one toy device and the interactive television network.
  • a network-controlled toy system including at least one toy comiected to a first network via at least one of a multiplicity of interconnected electronic devices, thereby to define at least one network-mediated toy- device data link, wherein the network-mediated toy-device data link comprises a toy-controlling data linlc operative to at least partly control at least one parameter of the behavior of at least one individual toy from among the toys, wherein the at least one toy is connected to the first network via a public wireless transceiver operative to perform at least one of a transmitting operation and a receiving operation, to and from a public wireless network.
  • the public wireless transceiver comprises a cellular transceiver and the public wireless network comprises a cellular communication network.
  • the public wireless transceiver is satellite-based and the public wireless network includes a satellite communication network.
  • the public wireless transmitter is connected to the first network via a telephone line.
  • the telephone line connects the public wireless transmitter to a network service provider comiected to the first network.
  • At least a portion of the first network comprises the Internet and the network service provider comprises an ISP (Internet service provider).
  • ISP Internet service provider
  • the first network includes a computer network and the public wireless transceiver is comiected via a telephone line and a modem to an individual computer within the computer network.
  • the cellular communication network comprises a cellular telephone network.
  • the individual toy comprises at least one sensor and at least one actuator.
  • the least one sensor includes a microphone and the at least one actuator includes a speaker. Also in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention at least one parameter of the behavior ofthe individual toy is at least partly controlled locally rather than via the toy-controlling data linlc, thereby to provide distributed control ofthe toy.
  • the locally controlled parameter is at least partly controlled by an on-board controller located on board the toy.
  • the locally controlled parameter is at least partly controlled by a computer with a direct wireless linlc to the toy, via the direct wireless linlc.
  • a toy content data receptacle apparatus including toy content, stored in a data receptacle, for a network-controlled toy system including at least one toy connected to a first network including a multiplicity of interconnected electronic devices, thereby to define at least one network-mediated toy-device data linlc, wherein the network-mediated toy-device connection includes a toy-controlling data link operative to at least partly control at least one parameter of the behavior at least one individual toy from among the at least one toys.
  • the individual toy comprises an interactive toy.
  • the individual toy includes speech recognition capability and a microphone operative to receive speech specimens generated by a user ofthe toy.
  • the individual toy has on-board speech recognition capability.
  • the individual toy also includes a speech recognition unit located remotely relative to the individual toy, wherein the speech recognition unit provides the speech recognition capability ofthe individual toy. Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the speech recognition unit communicates with the individual toy at least partly through the first network.
  • At least a portion of the first network comprises an interactive television network.
  • At least one individual toy from among the at least one toys plays a role in interactive television entertainment provided to the user over the interactive television network.
  • the individual toy performs at least one action coordinated with at least one televised component ofthe interactive television entertainment.
  • the coordinated action includes a kinetic action.
  • the action includes generation of a sound.
  • the toy is operative to sense at least one user input and at least one individual television set is comiected to the interactive television network and a TV set control signal is generated at least partly based on the sensed user input and the TV set control signal arrives at the individual television set via the interactive television network.
  • the at least one user input includes a speech input and the toy is operative to perform speech recognition.
  • the toy is operative to perform speech recognition at least partly by transmitting the speech input to a remote speech recognition unit via the first network.
  • the individual toy plays a role in interactive television sales promotion provided to the user over the interactive television network.
  • a network-controlled system for controlling mobile toys including at least one toy comprising a wireless receiver comiected to a first network via at least one of a multiplicity of electronic devices interconnected via the first network, at least one of the devices including a wireless transmitter having a range of operation and communicating with the at least one wireless receiver when the at least one receiver is within the range of operation, thereby to define at least a portion of at least one network-mediated toy-device data linlc, wherein each network-mediated toy-device data linlc defined by an individual transmitter includes a toy-controlling data link operative to at least partly control at least one parameter of the behavior of at least one individual toy from among the at least one toys, when the toy's wireless receiver is within the range of operation ofthe individual transmitter.
  • the toy-device data link also includes a networked linlc connecting the transmitter, via the first network, to at least one of the electronic devices, the at least one of device being operative to provide at least one toy behavior control signal to the toy via the network and the transmitter.
  • At least one of the wireless receivers includes a wireless transceiver and at least one of the wireless transmitters includes a wireless transceiver and at least one ofthe data links includes a two-way data linlc.
  • At least one ofthe electronic devices includes a computer.
  • the device providing a toy behavior control signal to the toy includes a computer.
  • the device providing a toy behavior control signal to the toy includes a computer.
  • At least a portion of the first network includes a cellular telephone network and at least one of the transmitters includes a cellular transceiver and at least one of the receivers includes a cellular transceiver.
  • a database of localized toy content items configured and operative to pass over the toy-device data link, and a toy localizing system operative to monitor the locations ofthe toys, and a toy content controller operative to select, from the database, localized toy content items to feed over individual toy-device data links to individual toys, depending on the locations of the individual toys as determined by the toy localizing system.
  • at least one of the data communication links comprises a link allowing the television network to feed toy behavior control signals to at least one ofthe toy devices.
  • At least one ofthe data communication links comprises a link allowing the toy device to feed interactive television control signals to the television network.
  • the toy device is operative to sense at least one user input provided by a user of the toy and at least one ofthe interactive television control signals is at least partly determined by the at least one user input.
  • the user input includes a sensed parameter ofthe user's behavior toward the toy.
  • the toy behavior control signals include at least one signal affecting at least one toy device's behavior toward a user ofthe toy device.
  • a script is included which includes at least one sequence of events including at least one first event displayed on at least one of the television displays and at least one second event in which at least one ofthe toy devices participates.
  • a toy system controlled by interactive television including, at least one electronically controlled toy system each having an electronic toy control input channel, and an interactive television system providing toy control signals to each of the toy systems via each of the electronic control input channels.
  • a toy system for controlling a remotely controlled interactive television system, the toy system including at least one interactive toy system operative to sense at least one user-generated input, the interactive toy system including an interactive television controlling unit operative to remotely control the interactive television system responsive to the at least one user-generated input.
  • a software unit is included for controlling subsequent interactive television content .
  • At least one of the toy systems includes an interactive toy system operative to sense at least one user-generated input, the interactive toy system including an interactive television controlling unit operative to remotely control the interactive television system responsive to the at least one user-generated
  • a software unit is included for controlling subsequent interactive television content responsive to the at least one user-generated input and to current interactive television content.
  • the user-generated input includes at least one of the following groups: a verbal input, a tactile input, an olfactory input, a kinetic input, an audio input, an input comprising an emotional communication, an input comprising a positional
  • At leastne of the toy systems is operative, responsive to at least one of the toy control signals, to perform at least one of the following toy operations: emitting a verbal utterance, emitting a non-verbal sound, performing a sequence of at least one body motions, generating at least one visual effect.
  • At least one ofthe toy systems includes a video system operative to visually sense at least one visible user-generated input.
  • the toy control signals actuate at least one of the toy systems to present at least one of the following types of content: entertainment content, sales promotion content and fimctional content such as e-commerce content.
  • the toy and at least one output medium of the interactive television system jointly provide the user with an integrated presentation of content.
  • a toy system including a first plurality of toy-controlling networked electronic devices defining a network and a second plurality of computer- controlled toys roaming between and controlled by individual ones ofthe first plurality of electronic devices.
  • At least one ofthe electronic devices includes a computer.
  • the computer includes a personal computer.
  • At least one of the second plurality of toys connects to the network via a cellular transceiver.
  • At least one of the second plurality of toys connects to the network via a cellular telephone transceiver.
  • At least one of the second plurality of toys connects to the network via an individual one ofthe following group of network connections: telephone, telephone modem, cable modem and a direct network comiection such as a comiection based on DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or Fiber Optic technology.
  • a direct network comiection such as a comiection based on DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or Fiber Optic technology.
  • each toy has an identity recognizable by an electronic device controlling it and wherein at least an individual one of the electronic devices is operative to record, and share with at least one other electronic device, the location and identity of at least one toy controlled by that electronic device.
  • At least one electronic device is included which is operative to select toy content to deliver to at least one of the toys, at least partly in accordance with the location of the toy.
  • the toy content includes a sequence of at least one prompts to a user of an individual toy to travel between a sequence of locations wherein each location is serviced by individual ones from among the electronic devices which is operative to deliver an individual one ofthe sequence of prompts.
  • At least one of the electronic devices is operative to prompt a user of a toy to travel to a particular location and wherein an electronic device serving the particular location is operative to reward the user for traveling to the particular location.
  • an interactive television network is operative to store branching television content, comprising a plurality of television content branches, and wherein the interactive television network is operative to select an individual one of the branches for display on an individual television display watched by an individual user depending on at least one characteristic of the user, learned by at least one of the toy devices and conveyed to the network.
  • the user's characteristic includes at least one aspect of the user's behavior toward the toy.
  • the characteristic includes at least one aspect of the user's behavior toward the toy while watching the television content.
  • At least a portion ofthe data receptacle resides on-board the at least one toy.
  • At least a portion of the data receptacle resides on-board one of the electronic devices.
  • the toy content comprises at least one of the following group of toy content types: games, scripts, sales promotion content, educational content, informational content and user profile-dependent content.
  • a base station is connected to the first network via a direct network linlc.
  • the direct network linlc is based on fiber optic technology. Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the direct network link is based on DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) teclmology.
  • DSL Digital Subscriber Line
  • the direct network connection is coimected via a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).
  • DSL Digital Subscriber Line
  • the direct network connection is comiected via Fiber Optic teclmology.
  • Fig. 1 is a simplified semi-pictorial semi-block diagram of a network- controlled toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 2. is a simplified part-pictorial diagram showing a typical implementation of a networked interactive toy system constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 3 is another simplified part-pictorial diagram showing another typical implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 4 is a simplified semi-pictorial semi-block diagram of a network- controlled toy system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 5 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating an implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 6 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating yet another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 7 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 8 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention in which the base station is comiected to the network by means of a direct network connection such as teclmology based on DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or fiber optic teclmology.
  • a direct network connection such as teclmology based on DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or fiber optic teclmology.
  • Fig. 9 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferced embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 10 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating control routes in yet another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 11 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating typical control routes of a toy en-route in yet another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 12 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating another control route of a toy en-route in yet another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 13 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating typical local and remote control routes of a networked interactive toy, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a prefeixed distributed control method of the apparatus of Fig. 13,
  • Fig. 15 is a pictorial illustration of a user en-route with a toy comprising an embedded mobile phone, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 16 is a rear view of disassembled toy apparatus comprising a cellular telephone, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 17 is a front view of an assembled toy apparatus comprising a cellular telephone, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a toy comprising a cellular phone or a cellular phone transceiver, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a toy comprising elements which enable interactive speaking, listening and sensing functionality, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Figure 20 shows a pictorial illustration of a user having a toy with a direct link to a computer at home, and toy connecting to a cellular network when away from home, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig.21 shows connections between a central interactive toy server and other systems, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig.22 shows other connections between a central interactive toy server and other systems, constmcted and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 23 is a flow chart describing the decision process for a toy linking up to a local computer or to a cellular system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig, 24 shows pictorially two toys communicating with each other via the Internet, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 25 shows pictorially how a toy makes a user more susceptible to advertising; in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 26 is a flow chart showing interactive toys using speech recognition to parse user's speech, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fig. 27 shows pictorially a user and toy in a store, and toy interacting with a computer within the store, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 28 shows pictorially an example of location tracking by a toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 29 is a flowchart showing how an interactive toy uses a database to improve advertising, and updates its database, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 30 shows pictorially a toy in wireless communication with a local computer which in turn is connected to a network such as the Internet, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 31 shows a toy comiected via a wireless link to a home computer via a direct wireless link, wherein the commands for operation of the computer come from one or more computers on a network, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 32 shows a method of connecting a toy to computers on a network using a standard phone line, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 33 shows typical components of a toy with an RF unit, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 34 is a flow chart of a toy controller contacting one or more servers on the Internet, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 35 illustrates connections of a toy to RF or other wireless transceivers, and to a store computer, and to the Internet, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 36 shows how connections of an electronic device with a direct wireless link to a toy constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 37A show an Interactive Toy connecting to a computer network such as the Internet via a wireless phone system such as a cellular phone system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 37B shows an interactive toy connecting via a wireless link and via a satellite system to a computer network such as the Internet, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 38 shows an example of how a cellular comiection can be implemented using a standard toy controller for connecting a toy to a local PC using a toy controller, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 39 shows an example of how a networked interactive toy is comiected to a set-top box, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 40 shows an electronically controlled toy with an RF transceiver connected to a set-top box which connects to other wireless communication systems, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 41 shows a toy linked to an Interactive TV network, via a set-top box, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 42 is a flow chart describing how an Interactive Toy is employed to change the content of a movie, advertisement or other Interactive Television content, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 43 is a flow chart showing how an Interactive Toy participates in a television or movie script, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fig. 44 shows a pictorial example of a way in which a toy is an active participant in an Interactive Television program, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 45 shows schematically a system comprising an interactive toy linked to a home automation system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 46 shows connections between a toy, an integrated entertainment, a home automation system, and a controlling computer, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 47 shows a cable TV set-top box connecting to a variety of household appliances to a computer on a network, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 48 shows a home automation system comprising one or more interactive toys, a TV set-top box, and a home personal computer, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 49 is a flow chart describing typical scenarios in which a toy activates part of a home automation system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 50 is a flow chart describing typical scenarios in which a toy provides a user with entertaimiient, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 51 is a flow chart showing an interactive toy functioning as an interface for controlling household appliances, especially attuned to the needs of children, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 51 is a flow chart showing an interactive toy functioning as an interface for controlling household appliances, especially attuned to the needs of children, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 52 is a flow chart describing how an interactive toy helps users to adequately handle household appliances, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 53 is a flow chart showing how the integration of interactive toys into home automation systems offers sales promotions to users, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 54 is a block diagram showing examples of some of the ways by which interactive toys comiect to a network, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 55 shows an interactive networked toy equipped with a video camera, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 56A is a schematic diagram of how a toy and its user decide on tour plans, in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • Fig. 56B shows an example of toy and user choosing a site to be visited, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 57 is a flow chart describing a toy accompanies a user's tour with a running commentary on the sites and objects encountered on the way, in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 58 A shows an example of a toy tour guide acting as a translator constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 58B shows another example of a toy tour guide acting as a translator constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 58C shows another example of a toy tour guide acting as a translator constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 58D shows another example of a toy tour guide acting as a translator constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 59 is a diagrammatic illustration showing how the interactivity that characterizes a networked interactive toy provides enhances use and entertainment value in trip planning, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 60 is a part pictorial and part block diagram representation of an interactive toy and its users, visiting a well-known site in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 61 is a part pictorial and part block diagram representation of an interactive toy and its user in a retail outlet, in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 62A shows how a networked interactive toy employing cellular teclmology can help a user to deal with a difficult situation, in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 62B is a flow chart showing how a networked interactive toy employing cellular teclmology can help a user to deal with a difficult situation and, at the same time, promote sales, in accordance with a preferxed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 63 describes some of the numerous ways in which an interactive toy may access information, in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • Fig. 64 is a diagrammatic representation of a networked system of interactive toys, constmcted and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fig. 65 shows diagrammatically, some of the sensors and hardware in a networked interactive toy, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 66 shows diagrammatically, some of the sensors and hardware in a networked interactive toy, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 67 shows diagrammatically, some of the sensors and hardware in a networked interactive toy, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 68 shows an interactive toy connected to a network via an electronic device, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 69 shows a diagranmiatic example of sensors and actuators which may be incorporated into an interactive toy, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention
  • Fig. 70 shows diagraimnatically control of simple and complex toy operations, in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a network- controlled toy system including at least one toys (one toy, 10, in the illustrated example) connected to a first network 20 comprising a multiplicity of interconnected electronic devices 30 (four, in the illustrated example), thereby to define at least one network-mediated toy-device data linlc (three links 40 in the illustrated example, represented by dotted lines).
  • the network-mediated toy-device data links 40 each comprise a toy-controlling data link operative to at least partly control at least one parameter ofthe behavior of toy 10.
  • the network-mediated toy-device data links 40 are all, in the illustrated example, routed through an electronic toy-network connector 50 which, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, is one of the electronic devices interconnected via the network.
  • the toy-network connector 50 is an electronic device whose main function is to provide a physical data connecton between the network and the toy.
  • the connector 50 establishes the physical data comiection between the network and the toy (toy network comiection 60).
  • This physical data comiection is typically at least partly wireless, for example is a comiection which partly or completely comprises an RF (radio frequency) link.
  • the network 20 may comprise a computer network in which some or all of the interconnected electronic devices comprise computers.
  • Fig. 2 shows one implementation of the toy system of Fig. 1 in which the first network comprises at least first and second portions 70 and 80, the first portion 70 comprising the Internet and the second portion 80 comprising a LAN (local area network).
  • the first network comprises at least first and second portions 70 and 80, the first portion 70 comprising the Internet and the second portion 80 comprising a LAN (local area network).
  • Fig. 3 is another simplified part-pictorial diagram showing another typical implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention in which the first network comprises a telephone network portion 90, indicated by heavy lines and a computer network portion 100, indicated by double lines, and the electronic toy- network connector 50 connects to the telephone network portion 90 via a telephone connection 110.
  • the first network comprises a telephone network portion 90, indicated by heavy lines and a computer network portion 100, indicated by double lines
  • the electronic toy- network connector 50 connects to the telephone network portion 90 via a telephone connection 110.
  • Fig. 4 is a simplified semi-pictorial semi-block diagram of a network-controlled toy system constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention.
  • a toy 10 is comiected via a wireless data link 120 to a base station 130 and the base station is coimected to the first network 20.
  • Fig. 5 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustration of a user, such as a child, playing with a toy 10 which has an RF or other wireless link to the base station 130.
  • the base station 130 is operative for continuous or occasional or intermittent data linkage to the first network 20 via a telephone line 140 and (in the illustrated example) an Internet service provider (ISP) 150.
  • the Internet service provider may comprise a conventional ISP or alternatively may comprise a customized toy server operative to provide Internet-mediated toy services including toy control, toy interaction, toy-mediated advertising services, toy related games and other toy services.
  • the toy service provider 150 may or may not additionally provide conventional Internet-mediated services, which may, for example, target parents of child users ofthe toy services.
  • Fig. 6 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating yet another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the first network comprises, at least in part, a cable TV network 160 having a connection 170 to a computer network 180 such as the Internet.
  • a base station 190 is connected to the cable TV network 160 via an interactive television set-top box 200.
  • the set-top box 200 typically provides, apart from Internet connectivity, also connectivity of a television set 210 to interactive television services.
  • Fig. 7 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention in which at least a portion of the first network 20 comprises a cable TV network.
  • a base station 230 is connected to the cable TV network via a cable modem 240.
  • Fig. 8 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a prefeixed embodiment of the present in which the connection of the base station 230 to the network, rather than comprising a cable portion of a cable TV network as in Fig. 7, instead is implemented based on conventional teclmology for connecting a computer to a network, such as ADSL, SDSL (Asymmetric or Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line based on twisted pair technology) or fiber optic technology.
  • ADSL AdSL
  • SDSL Asymmetric or Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line based on twisted pair technology
  • fiber optic technology such as ADSL, SDSL (Asymmetric or Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line based on twisted pair technology
  • the base station 230 provides electronics for implementing an RF linlc to the toy as well as electronics for providing a linlc to the DSL, fiber optic or other Intemet comiection provided.
  • DSL Direct Subscriber Line
  • Fig. 9 illustrates still another embodiment in which the base station is connected to a computer network such as the Internet via a satellite communication system.
  • Fig. 10 is a semi-pictorial semi-block diagram illustrating control routes in yet another implementation of a networked interactive toy system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention in which 8 separate control routes, indicated by dotted lines, are provided which may or may not all be simultaneously operative.
  • Four ofthe control routes are control ofthe toy by the following four controlling elements respectively: A cable TV station (route 310), a set- top box processor residing in the set-top box of the TV set (route 320), a computer on the network (route 330), an onboard computer residing within the toy (route 340).
  • the other four control routes are control of the TV set by any ofthe above four controlling elements respectively (routes 350, 360, 370 and 380).
  • the eight control routes illustrated in Fig. 10, or any subset thereof, can preferably operate simultaneously.
  • Each of these eight control routes can operate in either of two directions or in both directions simultaneously.
  • a user interacts with a toy by activating one of its sensors or speaking to the toy
  • the results of this interaction is passed on to one or more of he devices involved in control ofthe computer at least one of which includes data which may, for example, be in the form of scripts which may be operative to modify future television, toy or other content at least partly in response to this interaction.
  • an interactive television system may provide signals to a toy preferably via a set-top box which control kinetic, audio and other activities of the toy.
  • the meshing of the control circuits of the toy and the TV set are clearly advantageous because they allow a user such as a child to integrate playing activities with television viewing activities.
  • a. User can use the toy as a remote pointer to the interactive television.
  • a user can control operation and content of interactive television either by using one or more of the toy's sensors or by speaking to the toy preferably using speech recognition capabilities which are present either onboard the toy, on a processor on board an Interactive TV set-top box comiected to the television set, on one or more remote computers comiected to a remote network or on a combination of such devices.
  • a user for example a child
  • TV content such as a hoixor movie
  • the child can tightly hug the toy, which typically comprises a cuddly toy, and a suitable sensor can sense the tight hug and reduce the stimulation level of the TV content, for example by reducing the fear level of the horror movie, typically by selecting, at the next movie script junction, a movie segment or path of movie segments with less fear content.
  • the base unit may be integrally formed with the set-top box, with a computer or with any other electronic device.
  • a toy comprises a cellular phone transceiver operative to comiect the toy to a network such as the Internet via a cellular phone system.
  • the toy may then be controlled by any computer on the network as well as possibly, at least partly, by a processor onboard the toy.
  • Fig. 11 illustrates three alternative connections I - III between an interactive toy, which may be located in a moving vehicle, and a computer network such as the Internet.
  • the first connection is via a conventional ISP (Internet server provider).
  • ISP Internet server provider
  • the toy using a cellular phone transceiver, makes a phone comiection with an Internet Service Provider which provides, for the toy, Internet connectivity to a computer on the Internet which controls the toy.
  • the second connection is via a computer, typically a home computer which typically belongs to the owner of the toy or to one of the toy owner's friends.
  • the toy using a cellular phone transceiver, makes a phone connection with a modem comiected to the computer which either provides at least partial control of the toy or Internet connectivity to another computer which provides at least partial control ofthe toy.
  • the third connection is via a net comiection such as, for example, the WAP (wireless application protocol) which is typically handled by a cellular telephone company.
  • WAP wireless application protocol
  • a cellular phone transceiver on the toy is operative to use, for example, the WAP teclmology to provide direct comiection ofthe toy to the Internet thus providing a comiection to a computer on the network which at least partly controls the toy.
  • Fig. 12 is similar to Fig. 11 except that the cellular telephone linlc of Fig. 11 is replaced by a satellite link in Fig. 12.
  • Fig. 13 illustrates a toy system wherein at least one parameter of the behavior ofthe toy is at least partly controlled locally and at least one other parameter of the behavior of the toy is at least partly controlled remotely, typically via a toy- controlling data link, thereby to provide distributed control of the toy.
  • Control routes are indicated by dotted lines.
  • the local control route is typically implemented by the physical RF/wireless link shown connecting the local electronic device with the toy.
  • simple aspects of the behavior of the toy may be controlled locally by relatively inexpensive on-board or local processors, and complex aspects of the behavior of the toy may be controlled by relatively expensive, centralized toy control equipment serving a large population of toys through a network via one or more network-mediated toy-controlling data linlcs such as those linlcing various computers on the network to the toy of Fig. 13.
  • Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a preferred distributed control method in which different steps in a speech recognition process are performed by different elements in the apparatus of Fig. 13, and the outputs of the various steps are transferred as appropriate between the various elements in order to allow subsequent steps to be perfonned.
  • the flowchart of Fig. 14 illustrates that it is possible for an individual electronic device to only partly control a particular behavior parameter of the toy for example because the individual electronic device performs only a subset of the totality of steps comprising the control method governing the particular behavior parameter.
  • Fig. 15 is a pictorial illustration of a moving family car in which is seated a child holding a toy such as a doll, in which a conventional cellular phone is removably embedded.
  • a particular advantage of the apparatus of Fig. 15 is that parents can provide a child with en-route entertaimiient by simply embedding their cellular telephone, during a car-trip, into the cavity defined in the toy. It is appreciated that alternatively, no cavity may be defined in the toy and the cellular telephone may be associated differently with the toy, for example the cellular telephone may be strapped to a protruding outlet.
  • the toy is sold with a uniform terminal which is connected to a selected one from among a plurality of connector structures mating with the various connector structures of commercially available cellular phones.
  • Fig. 16 is a rear view of disassembled apparatus comprising a cellular telephone with a first connector structure, and an associated telephone-receiving cavity defined within a toy, typically within the torso ofthe toy.
  • Fig. 17 is a front view of the assembled apparatus showing the cellular phone now within the cavity in the toy.
  • toys coimected to a network are interactive toys which employ "Living Objects" teclmology as described in various patent documents referred to in this application.
  • Such toys are equipped with one or more controllers with wireless communication with one or more computer systems.
  • wireless communication is achieved by providing toys with a cellular, or other mobile phone, or with some or all of the hardware contained in a cellular phone.
  • Such toys are henceforth referred to as interactive cell-phone toys.
  • Fig. 18 shows schematically a toy comprising a cellular phone or a cellular phone transceiver which is operative to dial, for example, a computer on a phone network.
  • This computer may be a central server of a cellular phone network; a central server dedicated to serving toys, one or more user's home computer, or any other computer, which is capable of connecting to a phone network. It is prefeixed that such a computer be then coimected to a global network such as the Internet. Such a configuration allows communication ' with other computers, and with other computer controlled interactive toys.
  • an interactive cell phone toy contains a cell phone or a controller employing cellular phone technology operative to comiect directly to the Internet using, for example, the WAP (wireless application protocol) technology.
  • WAP wireless application protocol
  • Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a toy comprising elements which enable interactive speaking, listening and sensing functionality, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferxed embodiment of the present invention.
  • An interactive toy may be equipped with one or more speakers, microphones, sensors and actuators (solenoids, motors, and lights) and the like. These control the motion of the toy.
  • Interaction with one or more users is mainly but not entirely verbal using speech recognition teclmology processed by the computer, which may or may not be remote from the toy.
  • An interactive toy may have a screen such as an LCD screen for viewing information or it may transfer information to the user through sound (possibly using text-to-speech technology) and motions.
  • An interactive toy may also be equipped with one or more video cameras, which can be used either passively to send pictures to the network or actively to identify the environment of the user using software on the computer.
  • an interactive cell-phone toy has a keypad for input of phone numbers and other infoiination though this function can also be perfonned using speech combined with voice recognition.
  • interactive toys are built modularly, so that there are different basic interior electronic components, reflecting the cost and range of functions of the toy as defined by design, producers and/or by toy users.
  • the exterior parts, "externals”, henceforth, are also modular. They can be removed, updated, and exchanged to suit user requirements. Externals are designed to envelop any of the modular inner component configurations.
  • interactive toy externals are "camouflaged" in ordinary objects such as a bicycle helmet or schoolbag.
  • the toy may have a casing of a l ⁇ iown or unknown toy personality, or in a soft toy.
  • such a toy can be tracked, both with respect to location and with respect to time.
  • an interactive cell-phone toy pushes commercial applications relevant to location/time and personal profile of the user.
  • the network system updates one or more user personal profiles based on those specific users' histories.
  • the interactive cell-phone toy can generate discounts or coupons, which can be used by its user(s) to the users' economic advantage.
  • an interactive cell-phone toy server can exchange infoiination with a merchant database.
  • an interactive cell-phone toy can locate one or more users within the home -base, or when away from the home base.
  • an interactive cell-phone toy has an alarm system.
  • a cell-phone company database is used for personalization information. This may or may not be in exchange with the interactive toy Server Company.
  • such information provided by the Cell-phone Company provides interactive cell-phone toy users with family commercial packages.
  • such information provided by the cell phone company provides interactive cell-phone toy users with discounts from the cell-phone provider and or from the Cell-phone Company.
  • such information provided by the cell phone Company provides interactive cell-phone toy users with family commercial packages.
  • interactive cell-phone toys communicate with one or more cell-phones.
  • an interactive cell phone toy may or may not contain hardware for communicating with any computer directly, once it is within range of this computer.
  • an interactive toy is be able to connect to the computer directly. This provides a more reliable linlc of an interactive toy to a computer, and also avoids the cost to toy users of using the cellular phone system.
  • Fig. 20 shows an artist's conception of a child using a direct link to his computer- while at home and using the cellular network for controlling his toy while he is away from home.
  • An advantage of using a home computer while a user is at home is to reduce the cost of cellular communication and to overcome limitations related to limited bandwidth in cellular communication.
  • Fig. 21 and Fig. 22 show the comiection between a central interactive toy server and various other system computer connections and communications.
  • a user's toy is connected to a network via an RF link to a local computer.
  • a cellular or similar mobile communication network 670 as well as a remote toy content server 650, a store or mall mobile communication network 680 as well as a remote advertising server are also connected to the network.
  • the remote advertising server presents the user with a sales promotion script.
  • Fig. 23 is a flow chart describing the decision process in a case where an interactive cell phone toy linlcs up to a local computer system when within range of such a system or, when not in the range of a local computer system with appropriate toy controlling technology and authorization, communicates via a cellular system.
  • a computer program is run on a microprocessor onboard the toy which constantly listens for a signal from a local computer to establish whether a local computer is active and able to serve the toy. If no such computer is found or if the toy is not authorized to use the found local computer, the toy uses cellular phone communication. If a local computer is found and if the toy is authorized to use the computer then such local communication is used.
  • interactive toys are comiected to one or more computers with significant processing power.
  • Such a configuration greatly enhances the interactive ability of such a toy, since one or more powerful computers can aid is speech recognition, text-to-speech processing, intelligent speech (as is present in currently provided by software using "Artificial Intelligence"), and other functions of a toy requiring processing power.
  • the present invention further describes a configuration whereby one or more computers, interact with one or more interactive toys, and are part of a network of computers.
  • a configuration enhances the entertaimiient advantages of such a toy even more.
  • the first example of this is that two or more users can interact with each other through their toys. This interaction can be as simple as a voice conversation or it can involve the playing of games in which one toy processes infoixnation from its user and decides, based on this information and the rules of the game what information the second toy passes on to its user. In either case two toys, which might even be on opposite sides ofthe world, can communicate with each other.
  • Fig. 24 shows pictorially two toys communicating with each other via the Internet.
  • a first toy 800 is controlled by a computer 801 which is either local or on a network.
  • Computer 801 is comiected to computer 803 via the Internet 802.
  • Computer 803 controls a toy 804.
  • a script miming on both computer 801 and 804 allows communication between toys 800 and 804 which may give the impression that the two toys are talking to each other.
  • Computer sends message to the computer connected to Toy B to tell Toy B to ask child B if he's interested in meeting a child from California. Computer B does this at a later time when he is coimected. Child B decides to ask Toy B to send Child A a joke about London or a song or a photo of some part of London
  • an interactive cell-phone toy play a game with one or more users.
  • an interactive cell-phone toy can be linked up to a computer game so that the toy becomes an integral part of a game played on a computer using a computer screen as well as possibly a keyboard, mouse, joystick or other computer accessory.
  • Entertaimiient is greatly enhanced by entertaimiient who, in a manner similar to that with conventional entertaimiient, provide games, scripts and entertainment for use with toys. This entertaimiient is passed to the toys via the computer network. This was shown in Fig. 22.
  • an interactive toy is equipped with a cellular phone or other mobile communicator allows the user to access tins entertainment while the user is mobile. Furthermore, the fact that mobile phone technology is contained within an interactive toy greatly enhances the coimnercial utilization ofthe mobile phone.
  • a user has a relationship with Iris interactive toy (not only with a cuddly bear but also some amount of relationship with toy cars, and other figures, especially if they have "living" characteristics with speech and Artificial Intelligence. This makes it easier to get an interactive toy user to use all the commercial material available through a network combining cellular phones with computers (also known as a Mobile Commerce or M-Commerce network.
  • Fig. 25 shows how the aforementioned relationship makes a user more susceptible to advertising. This figure compares a person sitting in front of a television set and hearing an advertisement wliich simply states "Buy product X; it's good!. This is to be compared with a child playing with his toy which is pushing a particular product despite the child's objection. In this case both interactivity with the user as well as the relationship of child and toy is used to enhance the sales promotion activity.
  • Interactive toy systems are able utilize and apply all commercial applications of e-commerce and m-commerce such as purchases on the web, advertising, remote purchasing of products, remote download of emails and other web applications.
  • Fig. 26 is a flow chart showing an example of how interactive toys use speech recognition to parse user's speech and determine user's likes and dislikes and advertise accordingly. They may either direct advertising towards a user's preferences or alternatively try to change a user's opinion. Fig. 26 makes use of the ability of a cellular phone network to locate a user and thus direct a user to a particular site, in this case a retail sales outlet.
  • Fig. 26 shows several other features of interactive toy systems. Such systems have the ability to offer discounts to users based on special circumstances encountered by the system. In the case described in Fig. 26 the toy is trying to convince a customer to go to a popular hamburger restaurant by suggesting a new product and by offering a free (or discounted) trial. The system can keep track of a user's history in order to avoid a user abusing this.
  • FIG. 26 Another feature shown in Fig. 26 is the function of an interactive toy in sending its user to one or more stores. This may be accomplished, for example, by means of a game in which points are collected and the winner gets a prize. Points may be earned in many ways including finding a treasure in a store ( wliich gets a child into a store to look and then encourages purchase). Interactive toy may have point of sale toys or just the computer but the child brings l ⁇ s toy to verify he was there.
  • Fig. 27 shows pictorially a user in a store in which user's toy interacts with a computer within the store.
  • the local computer encourages user to purchase more items by means of a game in which user is asked to find a new toy.
  • An interactive toy server- company may bill an advertiser for getting a child into a store. Comiection of interactive toys to a cell network enables both one or more interactive toy server company's database and one or more cell phone company's databases to be mutually informative and informed.
  • An interactive toy server company's database arises from user registration, as well as all the information which interactive toys get from their users: Response to questions about likes and dislikes in conversation, types of content requested, history of purchases and the like, Thus an interactive toy server company's database acquires much data.
  • Cell Phone Companies also have a huge database of its customers -not all have toys and the type of info is different. The sharing of these two or more databases can provide a huge coimnercial advantage in terms of profiling of customers and other applications of the wealth of information present in these databases.
  • Database utilization helps personalize information both for an interactive toy server company in providing advertising and entertainment content, and for Cell Phone Companies in providing services and sales to their customers. (They could learn about who likes Hamburgers and the like, and about other facts of commercial interest.)
  • Toy with cell phone can track the location and/or time of where a user is using currently available teclmology
  • a child, or other user, with an interactive cell phone toy, who gets lost, can easily be tracked.
  • the toy can meanwhile keep him calm since his toy is with him.
  • a lost cell-phone toy can be located, found and returned to its owner.
  • Fig. 28 shows an example of how the ability of a cell phone system to the location of where a user is using currently available teclmology may be used for commercial purposes so that the system can push coimnercial applications relevant to location, time and personal profile of a user.
  • time tracking allows, for example, a toy to send a user to nearby places of business which are currently open knowing that user likes them, or tries to persuade user(s) that they should like them.
  • Interactive toy server system combines experience of all the toys to see trends in sales and marketing techniques to make them more effective.
  • Fig. 29 shows how an interactive toy uses a database to improve advertising and then uses the result ofthe advertising to update its database.
  • Fig. 30 shows pictorially a toy in wireless communication with a local computer which in turn is coimected to a network such as the Internet, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferxed embodiment of the present invention.
  • the precise method of comiection of the computer to the Internet is not shown and may be of any form including for example by means of a modem and a telephone line, by means of a cable modem, by means of a direct Internet comiection such as a DSL (Digital Subscriber- Line) comiection provided by most commercial telecommunication companies or by any other available means.
  • the local computer which may be a Personal Computer runs programs to control the toy.
  • These programs include 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.
  • a computer is preferably comiected to a computer network such as the Internet and it is thus connected to many other computers including those which may be controlling additional toys.
  • a toy may be connected to a home computer via a wireless linlc (as above) but the home computer may not provide some or all of the controlling commands for the toy.
  • Said commands may be provided by any other- computer on a computer network such as a local intranet or the Internet. This (i.e.
  • the partial or frill 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 for any other reason.
  • Fig. 31 shows an example in which a toy is connected via a wireless linlc to a home (or office or other) computer via a direct wireless linlc but that the commands for operation of the computer come either partially or entirely from one or more computers on a network. Some of the commands may come from the local computer. It is also possible that some ofthe commands come from hardware within the toy itself.
  • Fig. 32 shows a method of connecting a toy to computers on a network using a standard phone line.
  • the system comprises an interactive toy coimected by an RF link to an RF unit capable of transmission and reception.
  • the RF unit contains hardware which converts a signal received from the toy to a signal capable of being sent by a standard modem connected to a telephone line (i.e. it demodulates the signal and digitizes it in case it is an analog signal) and, conversely it receives a digital signal from the modem and modulates it so that it can be sent to the toy by the RF unit.
  • Fig. 33 shows the components of such an RF unit.
  • the modem is an integral part ofthe RF unit.
  • a user plugs such an RF unit into a standard telephone line.
  • a controller contained within the RF unit dials an Internet Service Provider and establishes an Internet connection and subsequently controls the connection.
  • all activity related to comiection to the Internet is handled by the toy controller contained within a toy rather than by the RF controller.
  • the controller within the toy senses whether it is communicating with a computer, with an RF controller connected to a modem or to any other possible Internet comiection mechanism such as may be described later in this document.
  • a controller (either on the toy or on the RF unit) makes contact with a computer on the network whose role it is to control the toy's operation. Methods for establishing this comiection are now described.
  • the hardware in the above mentioned controller contains the Internet address (possibly the IP address) of a computer on the network which is authorized to control a toy.
  • the controller contains non- volatile read-write memory (such as eeprom memory) which stores the Internet address of the controlling computer so that the contents of this memory can be modified as required.
  • Fig. 34 is a flow chart describing another preferred embodiment of this invention in which the controller contacts one or more servers on the Internet which are programmed to respond to such a contact by providing the Internet address of one or more computers which control the toy's operation.
  • a controller broadcasts its Internet address (as assigned to it either dynamically or permanently by an Internet Service Provider or by any other means) to a computer network and requests computers comiected to the network which are capable and authorized to control a toy.
  • each toy is assigned a permanent Internet address.
  • each RF control unit (such as in Fig. 33) is assigned a permanent Internet address.
  • specific Internet Service Providers ISP's
  • ISP's are provided whose main purpose is to serve the cormnunity of toys discussed later in this document.
  • these special ISP's are the same as the Interactive Toy Servers (ITS) discussed later in this document.
  • ISP's which serve the general community of computer users provide special services to aid toy controllers with their connection to the Internet.
  • the home, office, commercial or other establishment has a permanently established direct cable comiection or a permanently established wireless comiection to a computer network such as the Internet.
  • the toy connects to via its (first) RF unit to a (second) RF unit which is permanently coimected to a computer network.
  • the second RF unit contains hardware to convert a signal from a toy to a signal appropriate for transmission through the network or, alternately, to convert a signal from the network to a signal which controls a toy.
  • An embodiment of this invention uses a setup as shown in Fig. 33 in which the modem is replaced by a device which connects to the serial port of an RF unit.
  • this device is a device provided by the ISP for connecting a computer to its network.
  • An example of the situation described in the previous paragraph is provided by Internet systems which are set up by cable television companies. These companies use the same cable (usually coaxial cables though fiber optic cables are used for parts of their network) that they use for providing television service to homes and other sites, in order to provide Internet service to these sites.
  • a device called a "cable modem" is provided which connects to the serial or other port of a user's computer and to the cable of the service provider.
  • a Networked Interactive Toy connects to the cable network and to the Internet using this system in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 33 in which the modem of Fig. 33 is replaced by the cable modem of a service provider.
  • FIG. 33 Another example is provided by packet-switched Internet service often provided by telephone companies in which a user's computer is coimected via a serial port or other port (often a USB port) to the service provider's line which is either a standard phone line or an upgraded line possibly using "twisted pair" lines.
  • the service provider provides hardware to comiect a computer to the Internet via these lines.
  • the setup of Fig. 33 can also be used in this case with the service provider's hardware replacing the modem of Fig. 33.
  • hardware which receives an RF signal from a toy and then converts it to a form capable of being transmitted directly through the above described cable or packet- switched phone line, is integrated into an RF base unit without necessarily using a serial port such as is shown in Fig. 33.
  • Fig. 35 illustrates another prefeixed embodiment of this invention in which an RF or other wireless transceivers coimected to the Internet either directly or via a modem may be used in a very large home or business establishments in which the RF unit on a toy is not always within range of a main computer containing software for controlling a toy.
  • the example shown is that of a shopping mall.
  • several computers, or pz-eferably a single computer together with several RF units as described in the previous paragraphs can be set up which are connected via a network to the main computer.
  • the toy then receives its control commands from the same computer on the network while it is mobile throughout the large home or business establishment.
  • Fig. 35 illustrates another prefeixed embodiment of this invention in which an RF or other wireless transceivers coimected to the Internet either directly or via a modem may be used in a very large home or business establishments in which the RF unit on a toy is not always within range of a main
  • one or more central computers run software to control all toys within the mall
  • many RF units are set up throughout the mall which are comiected via a computer network to the central computer or computers.
  • a toy that roves throughout the mall comiects to the closest RF unit.
  • a central computer decides which RF unit receives the signal by choosing the RF unit with the strongest signal from the toy. (This is similar to typical methods employed in cellular phone systems.)
  • a central computer identifies the RF unit which, at any given time, is receiving the strongest signal from the toy and uses that RF unit to communicate with the toy.
  • a toy is comiected via a wireless link to an electronic device which is connected to a computer network.
  • Said electronic device is capable of establishing a network connection so that the toy is effectively comiected to the computer network.
  • Sensor and other signals from the toy as well as control signals to the toy are provided by one or more ofthe following:
  • the electronic device which may be a personal computer or any other device capable of controlling the toy.
  • a device with significant computing power is prefeixed in order to provide speech recognition services and possibly video recognition services if one or more video cameras are provided on the toy.
  • the computer network may be a local network such as an Intranet or a global network such as the Internet. In the latter case the possibly slow speed of distant connections may lead to a desire to provide some control by a local electronic device such as a computer.
  • the toy may have an onboard computer which may provide some or all of the basic toy control services. Comiection to a local computer and to the Internet may be used to provide more computing power, to allow the downloading of more content, to access a vast database of knowledge of interest to the toy (see later for details), to allow conmiunication between two or more toys as well as other possible uses.
  • Fig. 36 shows an example of how an electronic device with a direct wireless link to a toy (if provided with independent computing ability) as well as one or more computers on a network combine either individually or together to control a toy. Additionally, an onboard computer may provide service for basic scripts involving short questions with short expected answers whereas more complicated scripts may be referred to a local PC or any computer on a network.
  • an "electronic device” which comiects an interactive toy to a network
  • a computer a specially designed RF unit comiected to a modem, an RF unit comiected to a cable modem and an RF unit comiected to a packet-switched phone line.
  • Fig. 37A and Fig. 37B show two example methods by which an Interactive Toy may comiect to a computer network such as the Internet via a wireless phone system such as a cellular phone system or via a satellite system.
  • a toy is provided with hardware which allows wireless communication with a cellular phone tower or a satellite and which allows the subsequent establishment of a network comiection between the toy and a computer network.
  • Fig. 38 shows an example of how a cellular comiection can be implemented using a standard toy controller for connecting a toy to a local PC using a toy controller as described in US Patent No. 5,752,880, to Gabai et. al.
  • Analog versions of such a standard toy controller encodes all speech and toy action in a standard audio format suitable for transmission through standard audio cables to a computer (PC) sound card.
  • PC computer
  • Such an audio signal is, in fact, sent to an RF unit to be transmitted to a local computer.
  • Both input and output sound and action are transferred to an RF unit in a standardized manner capable of being directly coimected to the input and output ports of a standard PC sound card such as, for example, a Sound Blaster compatible sound card.
  • a toy contains a possibly small computer (possibly a handheld computer) with a sound card and with a modem capable of comiection to a cellular pl one.
  • the toy ftirther contains a cellular phone which is capable of connecting to the modem and of connecting the computer onboard the toy to a computer network such as the Internet.
  • the toy further contains a standard toy controller which connects to the computer by means of a sound card with which the computer is equipped.
  • control of a toy may be done partly or mostly by the computer which is within the toy or, preferably, much of the control of the toy is done by a computer on the network to wliich the cellular or satellite phone connects the toy.
  • the procedure for establishing a network comiection may be similar to that shown in Fig. 34 as follows:
  • Toy controller senses this and causes computer within toy to be activated (either (preferably) woken from a sleep state or booted).
  • Net another example of an electronic device which provides a medium for connecting Interactive Toys to a network such as the Internet is an Interactive Television system.
  • This method of Internet comiection is especially suited for people who do not have a computer or who do not wish to use a local computer to connect to the Internet or for integration of computers with other entertainment systems such as interactive television.
  • Standard operation of such a unit is often used as follows: A so- called “set-top box" is coimected between a user's television set and the cable (such as, for example, a coaxial cable) provided by a Cable company or other Interactive Television service provider.
  • This set-top box serves both as a decoder of a Cable Television signal so that it can be viewed on a Television set and as an Internet connection box allowing the Television to act as a network terminal.
  • email can be sent and received using either a cordless keyboard and mouse or the Televisions remote control switch, the net can be browsed and, especially, television programs and other Internet content can be downloaded via the cable network and the set-top box to the television.
  • Set-top boxes typically include a powerful processor and possibly a significant amount of hard disk storage space. In some versions of such a system users may choose programs interactively and television programs may be written in such a manner as to allow users to interact with the show by clicking on certain parts of the screen and thus changing the content provided by the cable service provider.
  • Fig. 39 shows an example of how a networked interactive toy is coimected to a set-top box.
  • An RF link is provided between a toy and a base unit (comprising an RF transceiver) which is either coimected to an available port (such as a serial or a USB port) of the set-top box or integrally designed within the set-top box.
  • an RF base unit which comprises an RF transceiver is connected to a serial port on a set-top box.
  • the RF base unit communicates with a toy via the toy's RF transceiver.
  • the RF base unit is integrated into the set-top box.
  • An interactive toy now forms an integral part of the Interactive Television experience.
  • a toy connected to a set-top box is controlled by one or more computers on a computer network such as the Internet.
  • the toy is wholly or partly controlled by a computer which is also responsible for the transfer of Interactive Television content from a Cable Television service provider.
  • the set-top box comprises hardware capable of partly or wholly controlling a toy.
  • one or more toys plays a role in Interactive Television entertainment which is sent to a Television viewer.
  • a toy may perform certain actions or make certain sounds which are coordinated with related actions and/or sounds on a television.
  • the television program may respond in reaction to speech or other sensory input from a user to a toy. For example a user may say "I hate this program" and the television may respond by offering a different selection of programs.
  • Toy may be used as an advertising medium both due to its inherent entertainment value and due to a user profile which a computer maintains relating to a user and its toy.
  • Game may be played which requires user to visit another Interactive TV site and bring his toy to win prizes or better content.
  • Interactive Toy adds speech recognition as well as other sensors and actuators of a toy to the interactive ability of Interactive TV.
  • Toys at various sites may be used together (collectively) to aid in entertaimiient value or to play multi-user games.
  • a scene in a movie may proceed differently depending on whether most people cheered or booed at a specific previous scene.
  • Full length digital movies may be downloaded from the Internet as can music with CD quality (currently using MP3 or similar compression schemes) as well as a wide range of e-commerce activities.
  • Computers in subscribers' homes are capable of controlling this content. For example they are capable of pausing, rewinding or fast-forwarding a movie.
  • Interactive Television systems such as, for example the system provided by Scientific-Atlanta Inc.
  • Scientific-Atlanta Inc. give viewers a convenient way to interact with programs and advertisements while they continue to watch TV.
  • program related information such as weather, news, sports updates, trivia and interactive games.
  • a viewer may also request product samples, product descriptions, coupons and other free offers from advertisers as well as using e- commerce facilities to make purchases online.
  • a viewer may use a mouse, keyboard or simply a remote unit to send and receive email and even run any computer application by using programs installed on a server accessible via the interactive television network (which, in fact, comiects to the Internet).
  • Interactive Television systems typically use a device called a set-top box which is comiected to a viewer's television set and to the cable provider's network.
  • the network comiection is usually via a coaxial cable although there are systems in which telephone lines are used for outgoing data and coaxial cables for incoming data. Satellite communication as well as fiber optic cables are often utilized as part of the infrastructure of these systems and, in the future, individual homes may be provided with connectivity to fiber optic or other extremely high bandwidth communication lines.
  • An Interactive TV set-top box is equipped with a microprocessor or other computer chip which controls both signals from the se €rvi ce pr ovi dr aid s i grals c ⁇ ri rg o a viewer and meant to control entertainment content. Incoming signals are typically received via a remote control unit but may also be received by a cordless keyboard and/or mouse.
  • Set-top boxes are typically provided with serial or USB (Universal Serial Bus) interfaces to enable connection of other electronic devices to the set-top box.
  • a prefeixed embodiment of the ciuxent invention describes the integration into this system of yet another powerful entertainment and commercial medium namely the medium of Networked Interactive Toys.
  • Fig. 40 shows a sketch of a system described by a preferred embodiment of the current invention.
  • the system comprises an electronically controlled toy with an RF (radio frequency) transceiver comiected by a wireless link to a base unit with its own RF transceiver.
  • the base unit is comiected to a serial or USB port of a set-top box such as, for example, the set-top box of Scientific-Atlanta Inc. (for example Explorer 2000).
  • the set-top box is coimected to a household television set as well as to a cable (typically a coaxial cable) provided by the Interactive Television service provider.
  • Fig. 41 shows a preferxed embodiment of this invention in which the Interactive TV network comprises a server such as is provided, for example, by Peach Networks Inc. which is a computer which controls all data including television data which is sent to and received from the set-top box.
  • the set-top box is equipped with a microprocessor and is provided with an operating system such as, for example, the operating system provided by Power TV Inc. referred to as Power TVTM.
  • Power TVTM Power TVTM.
  • the combined ability to control the server computer and the microprocessor o board the set-top box allows for flexible control of all input and output to and from the set-top box including full integration of input and output from the USB or serial port ofthe set-top box.
  • By connecting an interactive toy system to the serial port of a set-top box and employing toy control software on the server computer and on the microprocessor of the set-top box we are able to fully integrate Interactive Television content with an Interactive Toy system.
  • Fig. 42 is a flow chart describing how an Interactive Toy is employed to change the content of a movie, advertisement or other Interactive Television content.
  • a movie has been specially designed for Interactive Television by providing, at a crucial stage of the movie, three alternative scripts.
  • a mildly frightening scene is shown immediately prior to the point at which the movie splits into these three alternative.
  • a toy is equipped with a sensor which senses whether the toy is being hugged and a microphone to detect user's speech and speech recognition software on the server able to recognize user's words.
  • the toy senses whether user has hugged toy and whether any verbal indication of fright has been received. There is then a split in the scene ofthe movie depending on user's input. In this example the various scenes ofthe movie recombine into a single continuation of the script. It is appreciated that the various scripts may proceed completely independently after the choice between them is made.
  • Fig. 43 is yet another flow chart showing how an Interactive Toy participates in a television or movie script.
  • a toy is portrayed as a pretty girl and another pretty girl in a movie is in a frightening situation and requires consoling.
  • the script in the movie changes depending on whether the viewer has consoled his toy or has simply ignored his toy.
  • the user's doll cries during a scene in a movie in which the protagonist is in trouble. If the user hugs the doll as if to comfort the doll then the protagonist is saved from trouble. If the user does not hug the doll then a version ofthe movie script is played in wliich the protagonist continues to be in trouble.
  • Fig. 44 shows a pictorial example of yet another way in which a toy is an active participant in an Interactive Television program - in this case an advertisement for new doll clothes.
  • the advertisement shows a girl and her doll on television and the girl is excited about the doll's new dress.
  • a child is watching this advertisement with her doll.
  • the physical doll Using its communication ability with the set-top box the physical doll expresses excitement with the new dress and asks the child for one as well.
  • the child is impressed and informs her mother that even the doll enjoys the dress.
  • the toy may recognize the child's positive response to the advertisement and make an entry in a database on a server computer on the Internet that this interactive advertisement has been successful with the user.
  • a database on a server computer on the Internet Such an entry into this database may be used for statistical purposes on effectiveness of the advertisement, for profiling purposes i.e. to note the kinds of ads this particular user responds to, and for billing pruposes.
  • the sales promoter may be billed an amount depending on the number of viewers for which the ad was successful.
  • Toy identifies the word "thirsty”. Toy checks user information database and finds that user likes soft drinks.
  • the promoter of product A will be billed an additional amount if user actually goes to the store to buy the product.
  • Another preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an integrated system of home entertaimiient and home automation in which one or more interactive toys participates in and/or provides control of household devices including entertainment media, appliances and other electrically controlled household devices.
  • Commercial applications of interactive toys when used in conjunction with the aforementioned system are further provided.
  • Home automation systems are l ⁇ iown in the art. Examples of such systems are described by "Home-Vision” of “Custom Solution Inc.”, “Home Control Inc.”, and “CyberHouse” (trademark). Such systems typically provide a variety of methods of controlling and monitoring household appliances using a home PC, a variety of appliance controllers and sensors, and possibly an Internet connection. With the advent of broadband Internet connections including Interactive TV, Cable Internet as well as Satellite TV and Internet, and direct Internet Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections the idea of home control has expanded to include systems in which home entertainment (television, video, stereo, DVD etc. ) is integrated with home computing and with home automation systems (appliance control, climate control etc.).
  • home entertainment television, stereo, DVD etc.
  • Interactive TV systems use a set-top box which contains a powerful processor, it is now possible to provide centralized control from such a set-top box. Since the set-top box is comiected to the Interactive Television system (either via cable, satellite, phone lines or other Internet connection method) it is possible to integrate all electronic devices in a home with television, movies, entertainment as well as with all fonns of Internet content. Furthermore it is possible for a user to control such a system from any computer on the Internet so that, for example, a parent at work may confrol, from a computer at work, which programs his child may watch on television or at what temperature the air conditioning is set.
  • This control can even be done while a user of the system is traveling by using, for example, an Internet comiection of a cellular phone such as provided by the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) system.
  • WAP Wireless Application Protocol
  • the television, stereo, movie, appliance, security, climate control, computer, Internet, e-commerce and other home systems all function as an integrated system with applications and functions which are shared between these various systems.
  • the present invention describes a method of adding yet another element to such a home automation system by including Networked Interactive toys as part of the aforementioned integrated system.
  • Networked Interactive toys as part of the aforementioned integrated system.
  • the integration of one or more interactive toys into an integrated entertainment and home automation system considerably enhances the efficiency, entertainment value, commercial value and ease of use of such a system.
  • interactive toys provide a control interface for home automation that is especially suitable for children.
  • databases kept by a local computer as well as by an Interactive Toy Server as described elsewhere in this document allow automated personalization of home control, entertaimiient, sales promotion and other material provided by such a system.
  • interactive toys offer a unique opportunity to enhance the entertaimiient and commercial value of integrated home entertaimiient and automation systems.
  • Fig. 45 shows schematically a system described by a prefeixed embodiment of the present invention which comprises one or more ofthe following elements:
  • One or more entertainment devices such as, for example, televisions, stereos, CD players, DVD players etc.,
  • One or more household appliances such as, for example, microwave oven, ordinary oven, refrigerator, washer etc.
  • climate control devices such as thermostat, air conditioning/heating control, electrical curtain/blind control etc.
  • Other home automation devices such as home alarm, car alarm, garage door control etc.
  • One or more home computer and/or electronic game systems including computer peripherals including joystick, mouse, keyboard (which may be cordless), printer etc.
  • Such computers are preferably comiected to a computer network such as the Internet either by a phone line or by any other broadband teclmology such as, for example, a cable modem, DSL comiection, fiber optic comiection, satellite comiection or by any other means.
  • Interactive Television system including a Interactive Television set-top box comiected to an entertainment/telecommunication/computer network such as the Cable TV network, phone system, Internet, Satellite communication system etc.
  • One or more computing devices such as, for example, a home computer or an Interactive Television set-top box whose function is to serve as interface for the system's user/s and to coordinate and integrate the functioning ofthe various components ofthe system.
  • An Interactive Toy controlled either by one ofthe computing devices in the home or by a computing device on a network accessible to the toy.
  • An interactive toy may be controlled, for example, by a set-top box in the home, a home computer, a computer on the Internet either via a direct network connection or, if so equipped, using cellular telephone or other wireless teclmology to connect directly to the Internet (for example the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) system used in cellular communication).
  • An interactive toy serves several purposes: a) It plays an active role in entertaimiient, education and sales promotion content provided by the system. b) It provides an interface between a human user and the integrated system described above which is more user-friendly than sitting at a computer terminal.
  • Interactive Toys are preferably part of a global network of a global network of interactive toys which participate in an integrated living experience combining education, entertainment, sales promotion and home automation.
  • An Interactive Toy server maintains a database of user experiences with Interactive Toys allows personalization of all the elements mentioned above and thus makes the living experience provided by such a system more relevant to an individual user or to a family.
  • Interactive toys typically comiect to a controlling computer in a variety of ways which can be classified into two main categories.
  • a computing device such as, for example, a PC or an Interactive Television set-top box at a home site controls a toy.
  • a toy may be wirelessly coimected to a personal computer or a set-top box that is preferably further coimected to an Interactive Toy Server via the Internet.
  • a computer on a network remotely controls a toy via a public communication network.
  • a toy is coimected to a TV set- top box that provides Internet comiection thus providing a comiection to a computer on the Internet which controls the toy as well as connection to an Interactive Toy Server.
  • a toy may contain cellular communication capabilities so that using, for example, the WAP (wireless application protocol) system it may connect to the Internet directly and be controlled by a computer on the Internet.
  • WAP wireless application protocol
  • Fig. 46 shows two examples of how an integrated entertainment and home automation system is coimected to a controlling computer.
  • a household appliance controlled by a home personal computer is shown.
  • both the household appliance and an interactive toy are wirelessly connected to a computer.
  • Wireless transmission from the computer's base (designated as RF transceiver in Fig. 46) is received by an RF unit on the household appliance (RF 1) that comiects to the appliance's controller.
  • RF 1 radio frequency division multiplexing unit
  • Such a controller is typically built into the household appliance and allows controlling its various functions.
  • a controller basically sets the device on or off and is preferably connected to the power line rather than built into the device itself.
  • sensors detect the position of a controller, and information about it be transmitted to the controlling computer. It is also preferred in such a case that a computer monitor the state of a household appliance as manually determined by a user. It is further preferred that a controlling computer monitor the function of a household appliance in other ways such as, for example, receiving input from a thermostat within an oven.
  • the wireless comiection shown in Fig. 46 is typically employed in the case of interactive toys and allows transmission of both speech and nonverbal control of a toy.
  • a household appliance that is not intended to be moved about, roughly the same functionality can be attained by using a wired link to the controlling computer.
  • the RF unit on a household appliance is replaced by a digital interface suitable for receiving transmission from the controlling computer and passing it on to the controller ofthe appliance.
  • a controlling computer preferably has an Internet comiection that allows comiection to an Interactive Toy Server (ITS).
  • ITS Interactive Toy Server
  • ITS Interactive Toy Server
  • a comiection is used, for example, for downloading content for an interactive toy, for providing interconnectivity between toys and for providing relevant infoiination regarding a system to the server.
  • a computer on an Interactive Toy Server preferably takes part in controlling household appliances.
  • the Interactive Toy Server provides comiection to appropriate database records, and a personal computer in the home controls a household appliance in accordance with information retrieved from one or more such database records. This issue is discussed in greater detail below.
  • a household appliance is equipped with a microphone and preferably also a speaker.
  • a household appliance both fulfills its normal function and also interacts with its user in a way typical to interactive toys. For example, a user can control the household appliance by voice and/or be entertained by the appliance.
  • This embodiment of the present invention is described in detail in a published PCT entitled “Apparatus and Method for Controlling Household Appliances” (WO98/4345) of Gabai et. al.
  • Fig. 47 shows another embodiment ofthe present invention in which a cable TV set-top box is used for connecting a variety of household appliances to a computer on a network.
  • a cable TV set-top box is used for connecting a variety of household appliances to a computer on a network.
  • interactive TV systems with set-top boxes supplied by leading manufacturers such as Sony, Phillips, Scientific Atlanta, General Instruments, Uniview Technologies, Paradise Innovations, Meternet Corporation, Teknema and Eagle Wireless that provide broadband Internet comiection over communication chamiels that also provide analog and digital television signals.
  • These systems thus allow integration of television and the Internet so that, for example, they allow a user to browse the web via their television sets using, for example, a cordless keyboard and mouse or even just an infrared remote control unit.
  • Such systems are especially suitable for users who do not wish to use a personal computer, or in countries where the best Internet connection are provided by cable operators.
  • a set-top box comprising a cable modem is coimected to a cable operator that provides both Interactive Television services as well as connection to the Internet.
  • the Internet connection provides comiection to a controlling computer which in accordance with this embodiment of the invention is a computer comiected to an interactive toy system's server (ITS).
  • ITS interactive toy system's server
  • the set-top box provides a comiection to the TV set as well as an Internet connection for the whole Intranet of household appliances.
  • the set-top box provides a wireless comiection to an interactive toy via a serial port.
  • the computing power is preferably provided partly by the aforementioned computer on the system's server and partly by a processor within the set-top box.
  • the processor on the set-top box manages the home automation Intranet whereas the more complex processing involved in the toy's speech or a "text-to- speech" program requiring a large amount of disk storage or memory may be handled by a remote computer on the system's server.
  • a TV set-top box provides comiection to a computer on a network via a wireless communication network such as, for example, a cellular or satellite communication network or wireless Internet comiection.
  • a wireless communication network such as, for example, a cellular or satellite communication network or wireless Internet comiection.
  • Fig. 48 shows another preferred embodiment of this invention in which a home automation system with one or more interactive toys comprises both a TV set-top box and a home personal computer.
  • the set-top box provides an Internet connection for the whole system whereas the one or more interactive toys are wirelessly connected to the personal computer.
  • a personal computer within this embodiment of the present invention has its own Internet connection. This has the advantage of providing comiection to an interactive toy server independently of the cable TV operator. This issue is discussed in greater detail in a section on the billing mechanism below.
  • a home automation system with one or more interactive toys employs a method for providing Internet connection via power lines.
  • a networked interactive toy is preferably co iected to database records such as a record of weather reports that allow the toy to control household appliances more efficiently. For example, in response to a report on a coming storm a toy causes all windows in a house to close or suggests to its user to close the windows.
  • This feature of interactive toys is further enhanced by the connectivity of all toys on a system.
  • the actions of many toys and their users preferably effect the way any particular toy controls household appliances and devices.
  • Fig. 49 describes an example of such a situation in which many users in a certain area have closed the windows in their houses. These users may be users of home automation systems or users of interactive toys who do not use such systems.
  • a server of a networked system of toys preferably tracks information about the closing of windows. For example, a toy asks its user where the user is going, and receives the answer that the user is going to close a window.
  • a system's server preferably automatically tracks information about such occurrences. This causes all other toys in the same area that function in home automation systems to check the position of windows in their users' houses.
  • a toy in the present example finds out that the living room windows are open.
  • the toy's primary option is to check a database record of weather reports. However, even if no relevant report of such kind is available, the toy still directs its user's attention to the windows. This situation illustrates how the connectivity of all interactive toys on a system can enhance the efficiency of home automation with such toys.
  • an interactive toy preferably collects information about its user and stores such information in a special database record of user profile. It is preferred that an interactive toy function within a home automation system in accordance with a database record of its user's profile.
  • the unique advantage of interactive toys in this regard is that the information stored in the database record does not relate to home automation alone but to all aspects of the relationship between a toy and its user.
  • Fig. 50 shows an example of a toy which controls an audio player and which is requested to download music for a particular user.
  • the toy in this example has two options of finding the type of music that it appropriate for download in such a case.
  • the toy may either check previous cases of downloading music for this user or, in case no relevant information of this type is available, the toy can check any other experience in the course of its relationship with the user.
  • the toy finds out that the user ordered ticket for a rock concert.
  • This example illustrates how an experience encountered in the course of interaction between a toy and its user is used in order enhance the toy's functioning in the context of home automation.
  • the system keeps track ofthe user's response.
  • Such information is later preferably used for further enhancing home automation as well as any other aspect of the interaction between a toy and its user. This illustrates how the function of an interactive toy in a home automation system may enhance its relationship with its user in all other contexts.
  • Fig. 51 shows an example of another prefeixed embodiment of the present invention in which an interactive toy functions as an interface for controlling household appliances that is especially attuned to the needs of children.
  • An interactive toy preferably recognizes its user using, for example, a voiceprint. This feature is preferably used in order to allow parents to program in advance which household appliance any child in the family is authorized to use and under what conditions.
  • an interactive toy entertains child when the child wishes to use a household appliance he/she is not authorized to use.
  • a child wishes to use a microwave oven. The child's toy checks if the child is authorized to use this appliance. In case he is, the toy helps the child to use the microwave.
  • the toy recognizes the product concerned according to a shopping list that comprises instructions of how to use the product with a microwave. In case a child is not allowed to use the household appliance, the toy suggests alternatives and entertains the child if he is upset.
  • Fig. 52 describes yet another preferxed embodiment of this invention in which an interactive toy sees to it that family members adequately handle household appliances. It is preferred that a toy provide friendly reminders for managing the function of household appliances such as, for example, taking laundry out of a washing machine once it has competed its cycle.
  • An example of this function of interactive toys is shown in Fig. 8.
  • the advantage of interactive toys in such cases is that they collect information about their users in the course of diverse interaction with them. This feature of interactive toys enables them to provide incentives for handling household appliances in a personalized way.
  • a toy encourages a user to manage the washing and drying machines by providing entertaimiient that is specifically intended for this user and promising more entertaimiient of this kind. The toy has gained this ability to provide such personalized entertainment for its user in the course of the whole of its previous, long-term interaction with this user.
  • Fig. 53 shows an example of how the integration of interactive toys into home automation systems offers an opportunity to ftirther enhance their usefulness for sales promotion and thus their commercial value in general.
  • an interactive toy activating a household appliance advertises products related to the appliance.
  • a toy advertises microwave products while a microwave is being used.
  • Such a method of sales promotion ensures that a user would be informed of new products that he/she is likely to be interested in.
  • a user preferably has an option not to receive advertising.
  • a user receives a discount on the power consumed by a household appliance in given period of time, if the user receives advertising related to the function of the household appliance during the period of time.
  • the user activates a microwave for 30 seconds and is billed for only 20 seconds of power supply, since he was willing to listen to advertising during the whole 30 seconds period. This is similar to a method used by cellular communication companies that offer reduced prices for long distance calls to users who are willing to receive advertising to their cellular phones.
  • a power supply company is comiected to a networked system of toys. Any discount a user receives for listening to advertising is registered and the coixesponding bill accordingly computed.
  • the toy system bills the advertisers and pays the power company. In this case, the bill a user receives from the power company is already updated with the discounts he receives.
  • the discount is computed by a computer on a server of a networked system of toys without comiection to the power supply company.
  • the user receives a regular bill from the power company, and receives a reduced bill from the networked system of toys.
  • a networked interactive toy system provides a mechanism whereby users and advertisers are billed according to the route by which content items are sent to toys.
  • Fig. 54 shows examples of some of the ways by which interactive toys can connect to a network.
  • content can be sent to toys from content providers, sales promotion companies and an Interactive Toy Server over the Internet.
  • the user of toy 1 requests a certain content item by clicking on the web-site ofthe relevant content provider.
  • the personal computer of the user of toy 1 is equipped with the appropriate software, then the item of content may be sent to toy 1 directly, namely via its Internet Service Provider (ISP). It is preferred, however, that the content item is sent to toy 1 via an Interactive Toy Server.
  • ISP Internet Service Provider
  • This method of sending content enhances the security ofthe system by allowing the system's server to prevent inappropriate content from being sent from a content provider to a toy.
  • the server preferably also provides a variety of database records that allow sending various types of content to interactive toys in a personalized way.
  • Sales promotion content is typically sent to interactive toys from sales promotion companies via an Interactive Toy Server.
  • the mechanism whereby users of interactive toys and sales promoters are billed for receiving and sending content depends on the route by which content is sent. It is therefore preferred that a networked system of toys keep track of the routes whereby content items are sent to each and every one of its users.
  • any computer software controlling a toy - whether on a personal computer, a TV set-top box, or any other computer has to contact an Interactive Toy Server in order to receive content for the toy.
  • the controlling computer sends a toy identification code that comprises the route by which the toy may receive content.
  • a networked interactive toy system employs the following method of routing and billing: A user can go directly to the web-site of a content provider, choose a content item and pay the content provider directly. The content item, however, is sent to the user via the Interactive Toy Server, and the Interactive Toy Server accordingly bills the content provider.
  • Sales promoters are typically billed according to a variety of parameters such as the length of time a user interacted with an advertising content, whether a user enjoyed the content, and whether a user purchased a product as a result of the content item.
  • An Interactive Toy Server typically keeps track of all these parameters. For example, the fact that a purchase was made as a result of advertising is verified using a discount coupon that a toy gives its user as a part of promoting a given product.
  • sales promoters are billed according to the route by which advertising content is sent to a toy. For example, a sales promotion business is billed a higher amount for sending an advertising content item via a cable TV operator than via an Internet Service Provider. This is done in accordance with an arrangement that prevails between an Interactive Toy Server and a cable TV operator and according to which the cable operator is paid for connecting a toy to a network.
  • networked interactive toys are used to track the location of users while they are, for example, on a trip and to guide them in a variety of ways that enhance the education, entertainment and commercial value of such toys. This can be accomplished, for example, if the toys utilize cellular phone or satellite communication to connect to a computer network such as the Internet. In such cases both the cellular phone system and the satellite systems are operative to detennine the location of a toy to within several tens of meters.
  • interactive toys may be used as tour guides. Besides providing the basic function as a tour guide an interactive toy system may enhance cooperation between sites of tourism all over the world and a system of such toys. These toys can be further used to collect information on travel trends and tourism that is of value to other establishments involved in such fields.
  • One of the features of interactive toys as described in above is the personal relationship that develops between a toy and its user. Another feature described above is the accessibility of continuously updateable database records of information for the toy's functioning. Thus a networked interactive toy system offers a unique opportunity to combine the features of a personal friend and those of an extremely knowledgeable guide.
  • An interactive toy in action as a tour guide comiects preferably via wireless to a networked computer.
  • This may or may not be a home personal computer, a networked computer in a car, or a personal computer at a site being visited by the toy and its user.
  • a toy comiects to a computer on a system's server using a mobile communication network such as a cellular or a satellite network.
  • a mobile communication network such as a cellular or a satellite network.
  • a communication network also enables a system's server to track the location of a user and its toy as detailed below.
  • a toy tour guide may switch from a mobile communication network and comiect to the computer at the site.
  • the presence of a toy in such a site is of considerable commercial value as discussed below.
  • a toy connects to a home PC it can function as a trip planner as discussed ftirther below.
  • an interactive toy in action as a tour guide is comiected to a mobile communication network.
  • cellular antennas make it possible to track a user's location with utmost precision down to a few meters.
  • Such a system also uses software city maps to track the street on which a user is located at any given moment.
  • a toy connects to a system via a satellite communication network.
  • a user's location is tracked in such a case using a GPS device on a toy.
  • a computer on a system's server receives input on a user's location and sends content to the user's toy appropriate to the given location.
  • a toy tells its user where he/she is located and how to get to places in the area.
  • the places may be requested by the user or suggested by the toy according to the user's database profile. If a user is driving a car or traveling by train his/her toy contacts an automatic routing and traffic monitoring device and tells its user what time he/she can expect to aixive at an expected destination.
  • One ofthe advantages of such an interactive toy over a networked computer in a car is that no special installation on a car is required. This is useful in case, for example, a user travels abroad and rents a car or hitchhikes.
  • Another advantage is that a toy accompanies such a tour with a running commentary on sites and objects of interest encountered on the way. This is described in greater detail below.
  • a toy determines the direction which its user faces and identifies objects of interest in that direction. For example, a compass on a toy is used in order to determine the direction in which a user points the toy's face.
  • a computer on a system's server combines this information with the user's location and with a database record of places and objects of interest. This infonnation is processed in order to identify the object a user points to with his/her toy.
  • a toy uses speech interaction in order to clarify the nature of the objects its user asks about. Thus, for example, a user points his/her toy in a certain direction and asks "What is this?". The toy then asks its user if he/she referred to the statue or to the palace behind it.
  • a user asks his/her toy for the direction of a specific object in their location, and a toy points with its aim in the expected direction.
  • a sensor for the toy's arms is used in order to determine the direction of the ami relative to the toy's body. This is used together with the toy's direction in order to dete ⁇ nine the expected movement of the arm.
  • a toy asks its user to stop for a minute in a certain central location and lists a number of sites of interest while pointing each time in the direction of the site in question.
  • Fig. 55 shows another prefen-ed embodiment ofthe present invention in which a toy is equipped, in addition, with a video camera.
  • a user points the camera at objects in his/her location, preferably viewing them on a little screen at the toy's back.
  • a digital picture is sent to the system's server that analyses it in order to determine what the object in question is.
  • a system's database includes a record of digital pictures of sites and objects of interest. Since the system keeps a fairly precise track of a user's location as described above, there will always be a limited if still rather large number of possible objects in each given case. This enables the system to identify an object pointed to by a user even if only limited shape recognition technology is available.
  • Fig. 55 shows schematically examples of location and direction tracking using mobile communication.
  • toy tour guide may connect to a networked computer at a site being visited.
  • a computer preferably keeps track of a toy and its user's location within the site in question.
  • a toy receives via wireless a transmission from three antennas located at a site, and a computer at the site processes this transmission in order to determine the exact location ofthe toy.
  • Such a database preferably includes records of information on the sites to be visited all over the world as well as records of users' information.
  • Fig. 56A and Fig. 56B show how such information allows, for example, a toy and its user to decide efficiently on the sites to be visited when arriving at a town unknown to the user.
  • a user can request that his/her toy suggest sites and places according to the user's fields of interests.
  • a toy can suggest places for its user to go to according to a database record of user information.
  • a user can name specific famous places that are located in the visited town according to his/her knowledge, and ask his/her toy whether and how they could be visited.
  • a toy then combines user information with information on the sites in question and advises its user accordingly.
  • a user might ask his/her toy to take him/her to a certain night-club. The toy may then warn its user that he/she might have trouble getting in since he/she is under eighteen. Alternatively, a toy tells its user about the type of music played in that club and reminds him/her of his/her preferences in this regard. Finally a toy can guide its user according to a trip plan fixed in advance as described in greater detail below.
  • Fig. 56A shows schematically an example of a procedure of choosing a site to visit.
  • Fig. 56B shows an example of a particular case of choosing a site.
  • Fig. 57 is a flow chart describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which a toy accompanies a tour with a ninning commentary on the sites and objects encountered on the way.
  • a commentary may include, for example, historical and cultural background.
  • Such educational content is continuously updated and can be sent to a user according to the user's database profile.
  • One of the central advantages of an interactive toy in this regard is that such educational content can be delivered in a way that is appealing to children.
  • a toy can function as an ideal tour guide for the whole family.
  • Historical background may be delivered by a toy in such a way as to attract the attention of a child user.
  • a toy can personify a historical figure that is related to the visited site or assume the character of a history professor and combine historical commentary with jokes and games. For example, a toy may entertain its child- user/s with info ⁇ nal quizzes on the sites they visited and offer credit points to the winners.
  • a toy personifies a famous media figure of a time traveler and leads its user/s through an archeological site related to different historical epochs.
  • Another advantage of an interactive toy in this regard is the relationship that is likely to develop in the course of time between a toy and its child-user. A small child is more likely to pay attention to an educational game with a toy representing a popular mouse character rather than to an adult tour guide. Parents can request that a toy entertain a 1/69799
  • a toy can encourage children to take an interest in an activity of educational value. For example, a child may wish to stay with a toy in a hotel room rather than join his/her parents on a trip to a museum. The toy can insist on being itself taken to the museum, point out how interesting the trip will be, and promise the child to joke and play with him/her on the way.
  • Fig. 57 provides an example of how a toy tour guide combines commentary and entertainment.
  • an interactive toy as a tour guide is of considerable commercial value.
  • the presence of a toy at a site increases its visibility and shows to other visitors its utilization as a tour guide.
  • businesses and sites of tourism can benefit from toys guiding their users to them. It is preferred that dealers and businesses all over the world be comiected to a networked system of toys.
  • an interactive toy in action as a tour guide direct its user/s to businesses that market products or services characteristic of their country. These include businesses such as, but not limited to, restaurants specializing in local dishes, galleries exhibiting national art, and fashion studios for local products.
  • a user receives a discount from a dealer if his/her toy guided him/her to this dealer. It is prefeixed that networked computers are located at such dealers'. Upon arrival at such a site, a toy preferably switches from a mobile communication network to the local computer via wireless communication. This enables a networked system's server to keep track of a user's commercial activities at the site in question. A billing mechanism is then used whereby local businesses are billed according to the user's toy guided activities.
  • public tourism sites are comiected to a networked system of toys.
  • a toy preferably offers its user a discount for visiting such a site. It is preferred that a toy offer such a discount in response to its user's request for content relating to one or more sites.
  • a toy may already offer a discount for visiting an archeological site. This enhances the opportunity for partnership between a system of interactive toys and national sites of tourism all over the world.
  • such sites preferably offer special services for users who arrive guided by their toys. The opportunity to track a user's location within a site has already been described above. This is preferably combined with content sent to a toy through a 01/69799
  • a national ait gallery may allow to a user to look at pictures while listening to the toy's commentary via ear phones.
  • a toy acts as translator of a spoken language.
  • a networked toy in such a case is that it is not limited to a fixed version of a source language and can download translation software for any kind of language or dialect that is encountered in the course of a trip.
  • a user may ask his/her toy how to pronounce a certain word or phrase in the local language.
  • a toy may translate to its user the speech of a local person who addresses the user. It is preferxed, in such cases, that a toy not merely translate but combine its translations with other types of content that is appropriate to the given situation.
  • one or more users may interact with local officials using the toy as an intermediary.
  • the toy explains to its users not only what is being said but also the significance of the words for the culture concerned.
  • the toy also tells its user what behavior is advised in such an encounter with local authorities.
  • a toy translates texts in a local or ancient language for its user/s.
  • a toy is equipped with a special seamier that allows it to read inscriptions, signs and menus in a local or ancient language and to translate them to speech in its user/s' language.
  • the comiectivity of an interactive toy to a system's server constitutes an advantage over existing scanner translators.
  • the latter are limited to fixed translation software and thus a fixed source language; if portable, they are also equipped with limited computation power that allows for only separate words to be translated.
  • an interactive toy with scanner may download translation software as required.
  • the translation is carried out by a computer on a system's server whose computation power allows for whole sentences to be translated.
  • a user recites the spelling of a word or a whole sentence in a local language to his/her toy, and the toy translates it to the user's language.
  • a toy presents its user with an alphabet of a local language on a screen. This is useful in case the local language is written in letters that are unknown to a user. A user selects the letters either using a touch sensitive screen or by pushing buttons around the screen's edge.
  • Such text translation is used in conjunction with other types of content. For example, on translating a menu a toy explains to its user/s the cultural significance of the dishes in question. Or, in another example, on translating an ancient inscription a toy offers its user a historical commentary on the period and the occasion on which it was written and the subjects it concerns.
  • Figs. 58 A-D show examples of a toy tour guide acting as a translator.
  • an interactive toy acting as a tour guide is coimected to a world news service and informs its user/s of the latest news related to the region currently being visited. It is preferred that such information be passed on selectively according to user-specific requirements such as, for example, security matters or the weather.
  • user-specific requirements such as, for example, security matters or the weather.
  • a user who is concerned about local political trends due to his/her own nationality may ask that news related to this issue alone to be sent to him her instead of having to spend time listening to irrelevant infoiination.
  • a user may ask for weather forecasts to be sent to him/her according to a specific travel plan.
  • an interactive toy helps one or more users to plan their trip in advance. This combines the toy's capabilities as a tour guide and as an organizer. The latter are especially useful given the amount of detailed information involved in planning a trip abroad.
  • a toy may suggest important sites to visit in a given country.
  • a toy may also schedule a trip according to a user's desire to visit a series of places under time and/or budget limitations.
  • a toy may plan a trip according to a user's specific limitations such as a disability or handicap,
  • a toy may mediate the possibly conflicting requirements of a number of users of different ages and interests such as, for example, members of a family, and offer them a compromise.
  • a toy may arrange the cheapest way for its user/s to visit certain places.
  • a toy preferably takes into account flights and hotels prices, distances between places and means of transportation, local climate and weather in a given time of the year, and local facilities and standard of living.
  • a toy may order flight tickets, make hotel reservations and arrange for entertaimiient activity for its user/s.
  • An interactive toy may or may not later join its user/s on a trip it helped to plan.
  • Fig. 59 shows how the interactivity that characterizes a networked interactive toy provides greatly enhanced ease of use and entertaimiient value as a tool for trip planning.
  • a whole family may sit around an interactive toy and plan a trip in a way that cannot be matched by a web page on a computer screen.
  • An interactive toy preferably recognizes the voices of all family members.
  • Such a toy also uses database records of user infoiination in order to make its suggestions for trip planning appropriate to the user/s.
  • a toy takes into account a child user's school record on considering his/her requests for a trip. For example, a toy demands that a summer vacation assignment be completed before the trip. Or, for example, a toy persuades parents to accept their child's requests for thing to do on a trip due to an improvement in the child's marks in a certain subject.
  • a toy keeps track of its user/s tour in a foreign country.
  • This enables a system's server to store information about the prefeixed activities of tourists relative to their age, nationality and social background.
  • Such information may be used for research into a variety of issues such as, for example, the preferences of tourists from a specific country visiting another specific country. Users may be encouraged to give their permission by being assured that the information is processed in a way that does not involve their identities.
  • Such research may be used to enhance the entertainment and commercial of a networked systems of toys in action as tour guides. Alternatively, research may be shared or exchanged with other establishments interested in tourism trends.
  • Fig. 60 is a part pictorial and part block diagram representation of an interactive toy and its users, visiting a well-known site in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • a family in this case a parent, a child 6540 and the child's toy 6550, visiting a well-known site such as the World Trade Center in New York City.
  • toy is equipped with cellular communication capability which establish wireless comiection between the toy and a nearby cellular phone antenna.
  • the cellular antenna is connected, in this example, to a digital cellular telephone system (such as the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) system) operative to coimect the toy to the Internet via a Cellular Phone Server.
  • WAP Wireless Application Protocol
  • Control signals for the toy are, in this example, sent from the Interactive Toy Server to the toy via the Internet and the cellular phone system.
  • the Cellular Phone Server utilizes the Cellular Phone Network to identify the location of the toy. This location is provided to the Interactive Toy Server via an Internet connection.
  • the server if authorized to do so, makes an entry into user's information database stating that at a given time on a given day the user visited the World Trade Center and spent a given amount of time there. This provides a method for automatically obtaining infoiination about user's habits such 1/69799
  • an interactive toy sends a user to a physical sales outlet (store).
  • store a physical sales outlet
  • This is exemplified in the example below.
  • a child is sent by a toy to a store.
  • the child is encouraged to bring his toy to the store.
  • This has two advantages. The first is that the toy is visible to other- people in the store and encourages them to buy such a toy - especially if they see that the toy has allowed the child to receive a discount.
  • the second advantage is that by bringing his toy to a store a user allows an interactive toy server to track sales.
  • This example also shows how advertising may be targeted to the location of a user. i.e. how a toy l ⁇ iows the location of a user and targets advertising accordingly. This idea is illustrated in Example II.
  • Child user is in a car with his parent who is driving on an inter-city highway.
  • Toy identifies the phrase "I'm hungry” .
  • Toy uses services of cellular phone provider to identify the location of user and the direction of travel.
  • Toy queries sales promotion database for restaurants which are located nearby the user and in the direction the user is traveling.
  • Toy There is a “Burger Boy" restaurant just 2 minutes ahead!
  • Toy identifies "Pizza Me” as a branded Pizza chain for which a sales promotion exists in its sales promotion database. Toy: There is a “Pizza Me” ahead but you'll have to wait an hour to get there! But if you wait and bring me into the store you get 20% off! Child informs parent and agrees to go to "Pizza Me”.
  • the Pizza Me store does not have facilities for communicating with Interactive Toys but is aware of the 20% discount offer.
  • Store proprietor scans or reads code from back of toy and enters it into his computer.
  • Toy server enters information regarding sale into its database for later- billing the store or the advertising agent.
  • Child orders nuggets. Discount is managed by store's computer which is operative to allow linkage between its sales and billing software and the toy control software.
  • Toy server enters information regarding sale into its database for later- billing the store or the advertising agent.
  • a user is using a mobile toy. 1/69799
  • Fig. 61 shows this situation pictorially.
  • the toy in this example, comprises a toy controller and an RF transceiver operative to connect to the Internet via a coimnercial cellular phone network.
  • Software for controlling the toy is run on any computer on a network (the Internet, for example) possibly the user's home computer or on the Interactive Toy Server.
  • Fig. 61 shows pictorially a cliild in a Burger Boy restaurant. The restaurant has a point-of-sale talking burger 670.
  • the toy is passively listening for keywords and hears the child say that he is hungry.
  • the toy makes a suggestion for a restaurant and then, depending on whether the suggestion was accepted or rejected it either directs the user to the suggested store or it suggests alternatives. In either case the toy offers incentives for the child to bring toy into store.
  • the store's computer does not have Interactive Toy controlling capabilities then any incentive such as free products or discount is achieved by other means such as, in this example, by scanning or reading a toy identification code off the body ofthe toy. If the store computer does have the capability to confrol the interactive toy then, upon recognizing the presence of the toy, sends a message via the network to the toy's controlling computer, to allow it to control the toy temporarily.
  • the store's computer also controls another toy which is a talking burger.
  • This "point of sale" toy helps make the sale by entertaining the user in a manner coordinated with his own toy.
  • the user's toy leaves the store it senses that the store's computer is no longer within range and it re-establishes its comiection with the cellular system.
  • a point of sale toy may also interact with users who do not have their own toys. It thus acts as part of the sales force in the store.
  • a well known hamburger chain with a famous mascot with Interactive Toy technology. Customers entering the store would be entertained by this mascot which would also help advise and advertise on products and promotions.
  • 62B show how a networked interactive toy employing cellular teclmology may help a user, in this case a child, deal with a difficult situation and, at the same time, promote the sale of a gift to the child.
  • a child is going for a walk with his mobile toy as well as with his older sibling.
  • Suddenly the child is frightened by a dog who is barking loudly.
  • the frightened child hugs his toy.
  • the toy senses the hug and recognizes the sound as the bark of a dog, for example, by matching the digital sound file resulting from the dog's baric with specimen sound files on the toy- controlling computer.
  • a program on the toy-controlling computer has been programmed to recognize the combination of a dog bark and a subsequent hug as a sign that the child is frightened. The toy then says "Wow that was scary! and awaits a response from child. Child's response indicates how brave the child is. An email is sent to parent at work describing the incident and suggesting a gift the nature of which depends on how frightened the child was.
  • the Interactive Toy Server arranges prompt delivery.
  • Fig. 62 A shows a pictorial representation of this situation.
  • Fig. 62B is a flow chart showing how the situation is handled by a server depending. A different level of involvement of the parent as well as a different gift is suggested depending on how frightened the child actually was when the dog barked at the child.
  • Fig. 63 describes some of the numerous ways in which an interactive toy may access information. This may be directly via wired/unwired connection to a telephone network, via unwired cell-phone comiection, or directly to Internet or the like. It may be indirectly via a home computer to Internet web-sites, such as information and item providing services, Interactive toy support services or other database, or computer- connected up to a telephone network or cell-phone network, or the like. It may be indirectly via an interactive toy server to a cell-phone network, telephone network, or Internet, or the like. These, in turn may be linked up to item provider and/or Interactive Toy company's databases/telephones and the like. It may be indirectly via a home computer or other computer linked up to an interactive toy server, which links up to cell-phone network, telephone network, or Internet system or the like, or via any other similar combination.
  • toys by their very nature, are designed to entertain children and adults so that even in their current form, toys are a type of entertainment medium. Even inanimate toys may form a relationship with a user that may even take the form of "bonding". This bonding enhances the creative play of a user, which may be a child, and allows users to imagine that a toy has certain human (or superhuman or animal or alien or other) characteristics. Thus toys entertain users by focusing their imaginative play on certain characters or characteristics.
  • Inanimate toys are, however, limited in their abilities. First of all they entertain mostly by harnessing a user's imagination. Furthermore the entertainment is usually very localized since toys which are actually at the same location as users may only entertain users. The actual content of the entertaimnent is either wholly or partially predetermined by the designer/manufacturer of the toy. It may also be derived from the imagination of one or more users and/or their playmates.
  • interactive networked toys allow one or more users' toys to become a mechanism for passive entertainment, in which a user is passively entertained by actions of one or more toys.
  • Interactive networked toys may or may not also provide active entertaimnent, in which a user participates interactively in the content of the entertainment provided by the toys. Entertaimnent may be a combination or active and passive fonns.
  • the content for entertainment is provided in a wide variety of ways. It may either follow the model of the television in which a single distant provider provides content or, alternatively, the origin of the content may be distributed among many providers and many users tliroughout a network. Content may or may not be provide both by network and by one or more single sources.
  • Such content may be individualized for each user, since the delivery of content is computer controlled.
  • entertainment which may include games
  • Such a feature is made possible by interconnectivity of all toys and providers on one or more suitable networks, such as the Internet.
  • Entertaimnent content may or may not be totally predetermined, or it may or may not evolve dynamically, based on its previous history, and upon inputs of one or many of users of such systems.
  • a ftirther purpose of this invention is to have in place a system, which utilizes this new medium for commercial purposes.
  • entertainment media such as, but not limited to, television, movies, and theatre, have enormous commercial possibilities.
  • Coimnercial applications include charges for providing content, advertising, merchandising and many others.
  • T-Commerce hinting to "Toy commerce”
  • T- Commerce includes both traditional methods for generating revenue from an entertaimnent medium, and many new opportunities unique to the novel interactive toy medium.
  • the coimnercial opportunities of T-Commerce include, but are not limited to, charges for content, advertising, providing discount coupons, encouraging a user to visit a particular store, and possibly bring his toy to the store, as well as using the relationship of ⁇ ser(s) with the toy(s).
  • the toy which may or may not be a doll or a cuddly stuffed animal, provides user(s) patriotism to one or more particular products.
  • the system described by this invention comprises a multitude of interactive toys (to be described in detail below). These toys are individually placed at a "site" which may be a home, an office, a retail store, a shopping mall, an entertaimnent outlet (such as an amusement park), or at any other location. Each such site contains either one or many computers (or, alternatively, any other computing device such as a Web-TV or a Web-Cable controller winch allows comiection to another computer on a network), which may or may not be comiected by a local network. Each such site also contains one or many toys, each of which may or may not be connected via any form of wireless conmiunication (including, but not limited to radio and infrared), with one or more of the computers at the site. It is desirable but not essential that each toy uses one such site and one computer on this site as its "home base".
  • each computer at a site communicates with one or more toys, and is comiected to a network or to a series of intercoimected networks.
  • Such a computer may have software ru iing on it, which may utilize one or more networks, in order to perfonn the various functions described in this document.
  • a diagrammatic representation of the system is shown in Fig. 64.
  • each toy may be a guest at any other site.
  • sites have computers running the aforementioned software.
  • Such an interactive toy may only function with limited capabilities, in order to reduce cost to its user.
  • a roaming toy may update its home base with all newly acquired information upon its return, or, if possible, at some convenient time while the toy is roving.
  • the toy may also contain hardware (such as, for example, any light sensitive device, which could be used as a bar code seamier,) which would allow it to interact with standard equipment in a retail outlet such as a cash register. This feature allows a toy to send information about its user's purchase to the system's server, which would enable the store, or other outlet, to be charged a fee since such a toy "brought a user to a store or other outlet".
  • Such a system contains one or more servers whose main purpose is to serve the global community of toys.
  • a server may serve many functions including, but not limited to, providing support to the local computers, providing new content for the toys, providing technical support for the toys, and providing software support and upgrades.
  • Such a server may serve many other functions including providing an online store and user's club and, most important of all, coordinating all the commercial concerns of such a system.
  • One or more servers receive information and content from users and provide content and information to users by means of one of the networks described above.
  • such a system contains one or more Entertaimnent Providers which may be individuals, companies or any other entities which provide any form of entertaimnent content, which may include educational or commercial content, to one or rnany of the toys on the system.
  • This content is either provided directly by the Entertaimnent Provider to a user via any public network, or is provided to one or more aforementioned servers (either via a public network or by a secure private line or by any other means).
  • content is provided via a server, content is processed by the server, as required, and then sent to the consumer via a public network.
  • Interactive toy systems further contain retail outlets (which may be actual stores, online stores or other fo ⁇ ns of sales outlets) which sell the interactive toys, as well as entertaimnent content on physical media and any other related items.
  • retail outlets which may be actual stores, online stores or other fo ⁇ ns of sales outlets
  • Entertaimnent Providers provide Entertaimnent content. This content serves two purposes. The first is to entertain the user/users via their toy/toys, and the second is to derive the commercial benefit, which arises from the provision of this entertaimnent.
  • the various kinds of interactive toys have unique properties. These features are described below.
  • the second is a unique and complex security system whose key feature is an extensive network of adaptable, multi-point context based content filters. This system is also described further below.
  • Each toy in such a system contains a wireless transmitter and receiver (though some versions ofthe toy may contain only a transmitter or only a receiver). (The use of wireless communication is intended to make the use ofthe toy more convenient though in an unusual case in which wire conmiunication is more useful, this could be used as well for all or part of the system.)
  • Each toy may or may not contain a mechanical system, which allows physical motion of parts of the toy and/or motion of the toy as a whole.
  • Each toy may or may not contain one or more sensors which may include sensors of sound (preferably one or more microphones), vibrations, touch, heat, light, motion, vision or any other sensor or combination of sensors. It is preferred that each toy contains an audio speaker or a system of such speakers. All these components are 1/69799
  • Fig. 65, Fig. 66 and Fig. 67 show, diagrammatically, some of these sensors and the hardware involved.
  • each toy have a unique electronic identification code so that it may be uniquely identified by the computer system which runs our entertaimnent system.
  • Interactive toys on the system may have a variety of capabilities, ranging from simply receiving and playing sounds, to providing full portable functionality. This allows toys to be bought in a wide variety of price ranges.
  • a "top ofthe line” version of the toy might also have one or more video or other cameras which would provide vision capabilities for the toy.
  • the invention shown and described herein is not limited in its applicability to toys as conventionally defined but rather is also applicable to any object into which interactive technology such as "Living ObjectTM” technology may be incorporated.
  • This may include home appliances or any inanimate object.
  • Such objects may either be used alone, or they may be used in conjunction with more conventional toys to enhance the entertaimnent quality of the toy.
  • an adult who enjoys talking to himself may want to put this teclmology into a mirror, and then carry on conversations with "himself, using either prepared scripts or some currently existing or future "Artificial Intelligence” teclmology. This is designed to simulate human response to a user's statements and to make the user think that he is speaking with another human.
  • the term "Living ObjectTM teclmology" is intended to include the subject matter of US Pats. No. 5,752,880, and 6,022,273 to Gabai et al and the subject matter of 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 Entertaimnent Sites, Amusement Parks and Other Information and/or Entertaimnent Dispensing Sites, WO 99/08762; Interactive Talking Toy, WO 99/10065; and Interactive Toy WO 99/54015.
  • the entertainment value of such toys is enhanced when a user owns more than one toy. This may not be difficult for commercial enterprises, but many individuals may not be able to afford to buy a large number of toys.
  • Such a system provides several solutions to this problem.
  • One first solution relies on the concept of modular toys. A user may purchase many outer shells containing some of the mechanical and electronic devices needed to perform its various tasks, but as much as possible of the mechanical and electrical machinery as well as the core communication and processing unit is transferable from toy to toy.
  • the system described by a preferred embodiment of the present invention also provides for the possibility of manufacturing relatively inexpensive toys with limited capabilities. A small toy with only a wireless receiving unit and a speaker would be able to entertain its user in conjunction with a more sophisticated "owner-toy" and the host computer.
  • toys Inteimediate complexities of toys are also envisioned.
  • some form of portable object such as a necklace or belt could contain limited capabilities such as wireless communication, speech and hearing and it could be placed on conventional toys, which already exist in the home and transferred from one to the other. This would allow users to "bring to life" the various objects such as stuffed animals, which they already have in their home.
  • the host computer or possibly one of the other toys in the system, would be responsible for coordinating the identities ofthe various toys.
  • each site contain one or more toys with the capability to receive input from the user and that this input is used to recognize one or many characteristics ofthe user.
  • This infoiination is then passed on to a computer, which may or may not pass some or all of this information to a main server for further processing, storage or for contribution to a database of profiles of people's behavior, both commercial and otherwise.
  • teclmology including, but not limited to, teclmology which uses neural networks for predicting market trends and other business needs may or may not be used to monitor trends in the toy's user's behavior.
  • Such system technology may or may not receive as input direct active interactions of a user and his toy(s) (such as in the case of speech, touch or information about the changes in physical location ofthe toy).
  • Such system technology may or may not receive as input passive actions of users. For example, in the case of listening or possibly seeing what is happening in the user's room and correlating it with other input such as, for example, temperature, time of day, lighting and many other possible inputs).
  • This information either in its raw form, or once processed by a pattern matching engine, may be added to a server's database. This database application is discussed further in a later section of this document.
  • one or more toys, a site's computer (or computers), or one or more servers may provide a mechanism by which a toy can leam from its own previous experiences, or from those of other toys and/or users. This may or may not be accomplished using currently available Artificial Intelligence technology, and the aforementioned pattern matching ability, or other techniques, which may be developed in the future.
  • Artificial Intelligence technology with the aid of voice recognition and "text to speech" teclmology may or may not be used to allow entertaining non-scripted speech interaction between one or more users, and one or more toys which may either be in a single location or distributed throughout the network. This level of voice recognition and interactivity will require the latest teclmology in echo cancellation so that the toy can understand the user while the toy itself is speaking.
  • toys on a network may or may not have the capability to communicate with a wireless network such as, but not limited to, one or more existing cellular networks or satellite networks.
  • a cellular phone or hardware- containing cellular phone teclmology connects a user to any server or Internet Service Provider on the cellular phone network. Any one of these servers or a user's home computer, when coimected to a network may or may not be the server for the toy's functions. This is shown pictorially in Fig. 64.
  • the toy When the toy is within range of one of a system's sites, it may or may not switch from using this global wireless network to using a local computer at the site.
  • a toy with this capability would also be capable of using all the features of Mobile Commerce and such a system's server, or any other server, could provide remote computer services to the user.
  • a remote toy could also help direct a user to a specific retail or service location, such as the nearest Fast Food Restaurant, or the like, or the nearest movie theatre, showing a particular movie.
  • Such a system encourages users to bring their toys to specific locations, in order to obtain discounts.
  • Such an interactive toy system receives a fee or commission for bringing each and every user to each and every retail or service establishment.
  • a further advantage of mobile capability is the ability to track the location of users remotely. This proves useful when one or more toys or their users are lost. Furthermore, in cases where relatives and/or friends, are concerned about the location of a user, or in any other circumstances. This feature proves very useful.
  • toys run in a mode requiring reduced power consumption, under certain predetermined (or possibly programmable) circumstances.
  • toys may be plugged into a charger some time, just as a cordless phone is plugged into a charger when not in use.
  • a toy, while plugged into a charger, may or may not function frilly including, possibly, the ability to detect motion and sound and respond to a person entering a room, or any other toy capabilities.
  • the toy may or may not contain a "wake up on signal” system which turns on a local computer when that toy receives a signal (much as current "wake up on ring” systems for modems operate). This allows users' families to turn their home computers off, yet still allows users to play with their toys.
  • one or more toys entertain users by interacting with them through one or more toy communication mechanisms or structures. These include microphones, one or more audio speakers, motors or other devices causing motion of the toy, as well as any other mechanisms, and especially by voice input.
  • Interactive toys respond to user inputs. They respond to input in a way determined by the hardware and software on each specific toy, as well as by software on one or more host computers. Their response includes, but is not limited to sound (including voice), motion and light.
  • Responses may or may not be generated either by predetermined scripts, or by entertainment content, provided via one or more networks.
  • Some form of computer program such as currently available "Artificial Intelligence” programs may also provide them. These parse user input for content, and use this to determine output, or by some local or global game with predetennined, or adaptable rules which is played by one or more users on the network.
  • tins two users who are possibly located at a great distance from each other could simply use the toy as an inteimediary to carry out a conversation.
  • interactive toys be part of a global entertainment network.
  • the best way to understand such a system is to draw an analogy with traditional entertaimnent, such as television.
  • entertaimnent such as television.
  • content providers which provide content to the television station.
  • the television station may also produce some of the content on its own. This content is then transmitted to the user's television, which provides the entertainment to the user who is watching the television.
  • entertaimnent providers may or may not provide their entertaimnent directly to a user's computer through one or more networks, or, preferably, provide their content to such a system's server, which then passes it on to user(s).
  • an entertainment provider can design content, which affects the entire community of toys directly and can adapt content interactively, in response to the input of one or more members of this community.
  • software may or may not be provided to users, so users may or may not write their own content.
  • the simplest possible content comprises predetermined interactive scripts written by a content provider, which may or may not make use of the specific characters of each toy, which is being animated.
  • a well l ⁇ iown animation studio could write a script for one or many conversations (including physical actions) which would be appropriate to one of their popular toys, for example a toy representing a popular mouse character.
  • the provider could enhance this script or any other kind of content discussed below.
  • a provider could employ any one of the many Artificial Intelligence programs currently available on the market or any future applications. These are designed to provide a computer with the ability to have conversations (or any other form of interaction) with a human being in such a way that the computer responds as much as possible as a human.
  • One or more users are then able to hold a conversation (or other interaction) with one or more toys without using a predetermined script. This is extended to any other program, which is written and defines toy response as a function of user (s) inputs that of other toys in one or more system.
  • content providers provide clips of movies or plays, either by purely audio means, or by combining audio and other possible movements of toy(s).
  • This form of entertainment is greatly enhanced when one or more users have many interactive toys, even when some are limited in their abilities, or if some are modular in nature, as discussed in the previous section.
  • one or more content providers may have the various toys act out one or more scenes of a movie or a play.
  • technology of interactive toys is unproved, they may be able to design a play whose actors are a collection of toys.
  • the entertaimnent value improves yet further, if some of the toys are inanimate objects, such as toy cars or furniture, are controlled by one or more content providers, thus providing props for the play. Allowing many users on a network to see such entertaimnent simultaneously may further enhance this' multi-user, multi-toy entertainment approach.
  • a related application of tins is to turn a collection of dolls into a full entertainment center. Further enhancement occurs when users' response to such a play would affect further development of the play.
  • books and movies on CD-ROM which use this technique. In such a case, this is done online while one or more content providers send content, and the response of one or many users affect the progress of the play for all otlier viewers.
  • the scene could be changed for everyone, thus giving one user a feeling for what is happening globally.
  • a further possibility is that of character animation which can take several forms.
  • one or more users purchase a particular character whose content provider programs or scripts animate features and personalities.
  • the aforementioned modular technology is useful but not essential for this purpose in that reduces cost to consumers.
  • Specific characters may or may not be designed by special request, although this is quite expensive.
  • the animated character may or may not be a character (either human, animal, alien or other). This may or may not be from a movie, television show, play or other famous, real or fictitious entertaimnent figure. It may also be any other publicly known personality, possibly a sports figure, a religious leader, or a historical figure.
  • this may or may not include a figure of oneself, or a family member, or friend, or, in fact any character human, or otiierwise of one's imagination.
  • Content is then provided to animate these characters in either a passive or, preferably, in an interactive way to simulate the characters, which they represent.
  • Another fonn of character animation utilizes the imagination of the user to enhance the entertaimnent value.
  • a prefeixed method for achieving this would be to provide some mechanism for some or all of the active components of a toy to be put on an existing toy which were not designed with the Living Toy technology.
  • a necklace is designed containing a radio transmitter and receiver as well as a microphone and speaker. This is attached to any one of the user's existing toys. When many such necklaces are used, a user animates a large number of his toys.
  • entertaimnent is enhanced by the Artificial Intelligence technology discussed above, since a user is able to hold conversations with his/her toys which may, for example, be having a (fictitious) dinner party. Interactions with other toys on one or more networks would make this even more exciting and entertaining.
  • Such an interactive toy system may or may not be used to simulate live performances such as, but not limited to, sports games.
  • a sports club or a bar purchases a set of figures representing two or more sports teams (note: too expensive for most individual users to purchase). These figures each contain the Living Toys technology.
  • various cameras may be used to generate images. These are analyzed to determine the motion of the various parts of each player on the field, as well as the motion of the ball or any other objects used in a game. This infomiation is passed on to one or more user computers using a network, and then passed on to various toys representing the sports players.
  • a suitable arrangement would then allow the toy players, balls and any other objects in the game, to move around on an artificially designed field.
  • a feedback mechanism allowing the reactions of the crowds at home to affect the play of the players (probably though cheers and other crowd comments) could be incorporated.
  • Intercoimectivity of all toys on one or more network provides unique opportunity for multi-player interactive gaming.
  • the multi-player nature of these games may or may not range from being very localized (i.e. just among friends) or it can be global in nature, thus joining users from different cultures and countries in a global game.
  • Language barriers may be overcome, either by translation of some simple or standardized content, or by using computerized translators (combined with voice recognition and text to speech technologies). Another alternative is by using the movements of the toys to use some existing or new form of communication via "sign language" which is any form of communication using the motion of (in this case) toys as the medium.
  • a user sends his toy on a trip to one or more far away lands, in search of one or more users with certain characteristics.
  • a toy in response to certain criteria set up by the producers of the game, may decide to do this on its own. It will then return from this virtual trip with some or all of the characteristics and/or experiences of some or all of these toys.
  • Such a game may be designed so that this trip is presented to user(s) as a "party" or other social or business gathering to which the toy has gone.
  • the results of this party or meeting can then be presented to user (s) (possibly by animating the meeting with more than one toy) and the results (including users' interaction) are then used to decide on new and exciting adventures.
  • Such a game may or may not be an educational experience, as a toy is visiting interesting lands and cultures and finding out the actual properties of people in that area. Education applications of this technology are discussed ftirther below.
  • One or more interactive toy systems provide a unique gaming opportunity for adults.
  • a game could may or may not lead a user to get another job, meet a new mate, make new business contacts, move to a new place in the world, meet a group of people with different lifestyles or to make many other such changes in an adult's life.
  • Interactive toy systems hold several advantages in administering such a game.
  • the Interactive Toy System is aware of many ofthe characteristics and habits of its users. Such information is obtained both by asking users for information, and by passively observing users' habits. These habits are analyzed using either a pattern matching program, such as is available for analyzing business trends, or by any other means.
  • infomiation is collected by the Interactive Toy System using the special relationship created between an animated characters chosen by users, and those users. These relationships are also utilized to help convince users to follow the instructions of their toys.
  • an Interactive Toy System knowing that a male and a female user are basically compatible and that they both like a particular play, may offer them tickets to this play and give them seats together.
  • the system may also, for example, provide them with a discount coupon for a restaurant which might only be valid if both halves of the coupon (the half given to the male and the half given to the female) are used together (or if both toys are present). This increases the possibility that such a pair would meet.
  • the Interactive Toy System analyzes the results of the meeting by communicating with the users, and uses this information to design further adventures for that pair.
  • Various content providers may design different games with this or other themes.
  • Interactive toys may also be used as one or more diaries, organizers and reminders. Much of this functionality parallels the standard electronic diaries, organizers and reminders, and uses toy speech capability, possibly with text to speech technology, to pass the reminders to the user. Entry of items in the diary, organizer or reminder can be done either via the user's computer or via the toy itself, using speech recognition, for all or part of this process. This system- has several advantages over- traditional electronic organizers and reminders especially when applied to users.
  • a user is much more likely to listen to a reminder by his toy which represents a well known mouse character, for example, than a reminder by even an animated character on a computer screen.
  • a sophisticated version of an interactive toy includes a video camera. This may or may not be able to check whether the child did what he was supposed to do.
  • the toy may or may not reward the cliild for compliance by providing coupons or other- commercial benefits.
  • the diary, organizer or reminder can also be used for advertising purposes by adding reminders and notices as dictated by the advertisers. Thus, for example. The user could be reminded about the release date of a new movie or about the expiration of a major sale of airline tickets.
  • the simplest form of educational content is the teaching of academic subjects in an interesting and personalized way.
  • a user or his/her parents, or anyone else, may purchase an educational package on Mathematics, Science, History or even religion, all at various levels, and for various ages.
  • a user learns much more willingly from his own toy which, for example, may represent a popular mouse character, than from a computer screen, especially if this learning is spontaneous and unstructured.
  • a toy can offer a user a prize, in exchange for the correct answer to some math questions. It is preferable for the prize to be commercial in nature. It may or may not be a coupon (or points) to buy more content for a toy. It may or may not be a coupon to go to a store or other outlet, and buy some product or service. This advertises one or more products/services, and may or may not encourage a user's family/fiends to accompany him to that store/outlet.
  • a ftirther advantage of an Interactive Toy System is that the leading world experts on any given subject can provide the content for any of these courses.
  • These courses may or may not be very flexible and unstructured in nature.
  • a course in Geography may include a virtual visit to the land or city in question to meet some of the toys or toy users who "live” there and learn from them about life in that particular place.
  • a particularly important educational application of interactive toys is in language education.
  • language courses prepared by leading world experts can be applied to users' toys, and may teach these courses in an animated, personalized and interactive way.
  • One ftirther advantage of an Interactive Toy System is that it allows language to be taught to infants and babies in a very subtle way.
  • a toy could teach a child an interesting word in a foreign language. That toy then persuades the child to show his parents that he knows this word.
  • the interactive toy encourages the parent to tell friends about this wonderful toy. This, in turn, will increase not only sales ofthe toy and related entertainment content, but also all advertising revenue resulting from the toy, as will be described in detail in the next section.
  • Another educational role of toys in general and toys in particular is in role- modeling good behavior.
  • content is provided which teaches proper behavior under various circumstances, or which explains to a user interactively, why stealing, hitting, cheating or other behavior is wrong.
  • This content may or may not be individualized for different cultures.
  • one toy teaches environmental awareness, whereas another role models or teaches some cultural or religious behavior.
  • Another- possibility is the use of Artificial Intelligence technology to create a conversation between one or more users and one or more toys regarding any of the above examples, or any other moral issues.
  • Interactive toys Another- educational application of interactive toys, which is related to the toy as a role model, is called “Collective Toy”.
  • Collective Toy When a particular user shows certain consistent inappropriate behavior, he or his guardian may purchase, or otherwise acquire, a content module, wliich is designed to "correct" user behavior.
  • Interactive toys thus act, in a limited mamier, as counselors, consultants or psychologists who use any available techniques such as, but not limited to, behavior modification techniques to help users to correct their inappropriate behavior.
  • T-Commerce provides all the commercial opportunities of the traditional entertaimnent media. The most basic or these applications is charging for content. It costs money to go and see a play or a movie and PAY-TV is increasing in popularity. Subscription to Cable TV is, in fact, simply a charge for a package of content.
  • T- Commerce utilizes tins method, as well by charging for content by purchases at physical stores, at web stores, directly through entertaimnent providers, or by a prepaid subscription.
  • Yet another method of generating revenue is by sponsorships.
  • certain advertisers sponsor certain shows especially major sporting events.
  • opportunity is given to advertisers to sponsor certain entertainment or educational programs, which are provided to the users.
  • a full range of e-commerce applications is made possible employing interactive toy systems, due to network interconnectivity of the community of toys.
  • one or more web sites and users' clubs are provided on the Internet. These are designed to inform and entertain users, and also offer many products and services for sale (including entertainment and other content).
  • Interactive toy system users may or may not be children and/or parents. Parents may allow their children to spend money at the site. Parents maintain control over the total amount by prepaying for content, and allowing the children to use the credits as they see lit. Children or other users may also earn credits by listening to or responding to advertising, or by doing well in certain games, educational or otherwise. Access may also be provided to other web sites and advertising may appear on the system's web site so that the web site has the potential of providing a full-service e-commerce center.
  • the e-commerce shopping experience is enhanced if shopping is done via one or more toys, rather than users sitting at their computers.
  • a user may ask his toy(s) what books are available for his age on dinosaurs.
  • the toy may respond by saying that there are too many to list. It may offer to print the long list or ask the user to be more specific.
  • the toy might suggest a few books to the user and ask if he wants to purchase it and give him some options of suppliers. Of course the parents would have to be involved if the purchaser is a young child.
  • the T-commerce equivalent of "one click shopping" is that a user asks his toy to see if "Amazon” has a particular book, and then authorize him to buy it. It is possible but not essential to secure the purchase using a voiceprint.
  • a mobile toy is able to order theatre tickets, pay for parking, order restaurants and do anything which an Internet enabled cellular phone can do either using the voice technology described in the previous paragraph or by providing a toy with a small LCD or other monitor. This may be integrated into toys in an entertaining way, either openly or hidden behind some part of the toy. Thus all M-Commerce applications become T-Commerce applications.
  • Networked interactive toys provide a unique opportunity for commercial utilization of this entertainment medium.
  • a child, teenager or adult's interactive toy is absolutely unique in its role and in its abilities as an advertiser.
  • Such a toy may be characterized as an "interactive and responsive advertiser”.
  • a toy advertises by simply presenting a user with a predetennined advertisement, which the toy animates for user entertainment. Though this is similar to advertising on television and other media, it has the unique feature that the user has developed a relationship with his toy(s) and he is thus much more likely to be influenced by advertising. It is true that even in television users develop a relationship with television characters. It is clear that most users are much more likely to listen to their cute cuddly bear, which tells them to buy a product, than to an image of that bear on a television screen.
  • a major advantage of toys as advertisers is provided by the unique database, which interactive toy servers have accumulated.
  • the interactive toy system knows the basis characteristics of users, such as age, gender, nationality, location, and interests, simply by a registration procedure, wliich may be required for receiving support.
  • an advanced version of this system is constructed, in which one or more toys study user behaviors, and develop a profile of each and every user. Toys thus becomes extremely well informed salesmen who know all about the habits and behaviors of users, and can thus advertise the products, which users are most likely to buy.
  • Toys may or may not ask a user whether he bought a product, or, preferably, use one of the tracking techniques, described below, to track user purchases. Furthermore, since toys are networked, a toy may track it user's reaction to a specific purchase as time progresses, and use this information to plan further advertising strategy for sales in the user's area, or in other parts of the world. Powerful sales and profiling systems develop in which buying habits and product satisfaction can carefully be tracked as a function of many parameters. Thus, such systems may decide that a certain ethnic group with a certain income level with users in a given age group buys a particular product at a certain rate.
  • One real advantage of an interactive toy server system in this is that the infoiination in the profile is much more specific and personal than profiles developed by other means. Standard pattern matching teclmology used for analyzing business trends can be used to analyze these profiles.
  • An interactive toy is thus an interactive and responsive advertiser. It reacts to known features of the user as derived from its database and advertises accordingly. It reacts to the answers to the questions, which it asks the user and it reacts to trends and behaviors, which it notices from the user using the aforementioned pattern matching technology.
  • the toy can be viewed as a "super salesman". Besides knowing everything about its user, a toy also l ⁇ iows everything about all the other users on the system. Thus, in a virtual sense, the various toys can have a "sales meeting" in which they combine all their knowledge about sales and create new strategies and techniques for selling to certain kinds of people and groups of people.
  • toys can also create fads and trends, and thus direct the users' shopping in a more significant way.
  • a toy may or may not also be used as a negotiator, and it can thus serve a useful educational function by teaching users the skills of negotiation.
  • Negotiation could be as simple as requesting that the seller sell at a lower price due to limitations of a particular- user's budget, or it could take a more proactive role modeled after current sites offering reverse auctions on the Internet.
  • the idea is that a user asks his toy to find a certain product at a certain price, and the toy (virtually) scans a network, and finds out whether any sellers are willing to sell for that price.
  • the Interactive Toy System also helps users buy and sell used items.
  • Toys' advertising takes many forms. It may either advertise a product directly as mentioned previously, or, in addition, it may direct advertising to its own needs. Thus, for example, if a toy's batteries are mnning out, it could suggest to its user that the batteries be replaced by a specific brand. A toy could advertise products appropriate to its personality. For example, Barbie could advertise cosmetics.
  • Toys may advertise other toys (either Living Objects or ordinary toys) and insist that they need these other toys to make them happy.
  • a toy may suggest that its user should go and see some new movie, and possibly provide a discount coupon for the movie.
  • a toy may advertise any product or service in a user specific mamier.
  • a toy may attract its user or his/her parents to go to the system's web site or to the advertiser's web site. If a toy attracts its user to an advertiser's web site, the Interactive Toy System charges a fee to that web site in exchange for attracting the customer to that site.
  • a toy may encourage a child and his family to go to a particular store to purchase a particular item.
  • the toy may offer a user a coupon or it might insist that the specific user (a certain child) take the toy to the store in order to receive a discount.
  • This latter method would empower that child in his family since the family needs to take that child to the store in order to get the discount.
  • the presence of that specific child may be verified using a voiceprint.
  • the presence of that toy at the store has significant commercial value, since the toy, when comiected to the store's system (assuming they have the Living Objects software installed) informs the server that a purchase was made. This is a consequence of following advice of the toy, and thus allows an Interactive Toy System to charge a fee.
  • a mechanism is provided for traclcing the future purchases of that user's family at that store, which arise as a direct result ofthe toy's initial advertising.
  • An additional advantage of having a user's toy at the store physically is that other customers in the store will see the toy and will see it getting a discount, and they will be encouraged to purchase a toy themselves. This leads to an increase in the number of users, and thus the value of an Interactive Toy System.
  • many stores may have Living Object toys as well as "point of sale” items. These stores essentially act as salesmen for Living Object toys.
  • a user who brings his/her toy to a store may be provided with content, which allows interaction of such a user's toy with the point of sale toys thus providing an enhanced shopping experience.
  • Games may have embedded advertising. Users may be sent to certain movies, restaurants or other establishments as part of a game. In the case of strategy games, users may be given some prize for doing well in the game. It is even conceivable that if the game were large enough, the prize may be very large. Thus, for example, every user pays a few dollars to play a long and interesting game, and one or more winners may win millions of dollars.
  • a network of toys provides an opportunity for the creation of a unique database of consumer information. As the use of toys in such a network increases, this database will increase in size and complexity, and eventually construction of detailed profiles of consumers will be possible. This database and consumer profiles contained therein are of significant commercial value.
  • the collection of information about a user begins when he registers his toy on an interactive toy system's server. Users are encouraged to register, and are offered free support services an online shop and club, as well as other online services in exchange for registering their toys. During registration, certain basic information about each user is requested (some of which may be required for registration) including but not limited to gender, age, cultural background, school grade (for a child), level of education and occupation (for an adult), hobbies and interests. This information is stored in an online database.
  • Infoiination in such a database may be updated whenever a user interacts in any way with his toy, or whenever a user performs any action at the system's online server's web site. It is preferred that not all such infoiination be stored in a database, but rather that such a database is selective about which infomiation is relevant and is stored.
  • Such a database stores infomiation about all commercial activities, which one or more users perfoims via one or more toys or via the system's web site. This includes all requests for commercial information and all purchases (and returns of goods) that can be tracked by toys.
  • Various methods of tracking the commercial activity of users have been discussed previously in this document. These include but are not limited to direct purchase requests through toys, purchases with coupons provided by toys, and purchases in which a certain toy was physically brought to a store (possibly in exchange for that user receiving a discount or other benefit).
  • Such a database is initially used to choose suitable advertising for any given user. Since it is prefened that all advertising include some fonn of encouragement (such as a discount) for use of a toy in a purchase, it is possible to track whether a specific advertisement or form of advertisement was effective in selling a particular item to a particular user. This information, correlated with the personal information of the user, provides a powerful profile of consumer response to advertising.
  • the ability to track the effectiveness of advertising is enhanced dramatically by utilization ofthe unique personal relationship that will, in many cases, develop between a toy and its user. Such a user may, in many cases, be willing to "tell" his toy(s) whether he enjoyed the advertisement and whether he intends to purchase the item. It is then possible to know not only whether the item was purchased, but also whether there was an initial intention to purchase. The information about initial intention, combined with infoiination about an actual purchase, may be combined with a question to that specific user as to why that purchase was not made. The answer may be, for example, be that the parents were unwilling to spend the sum of money required for that specific purchase.
  • the relationship of a user with his toy may also be used to study user satisfaction with their purchase. After a purchase is made, a user might be asked whether he enjoys the purchase. This question may be asked several times possibly days or weeks apart. Infomiation about user satisfaction is thus gathered as time progresses. Thus, for example, it may be possible to determine the length of time a child is interested in a particular toy before becoming bored with it. This information is, as usual, conelated with the personal information about every individual user.
  • toys in the system have the ability to function while they are away from their base station, and even whilst traveling. They communicate with the server via a mobile communication network.
  • This network has the ability to track the location ofthe user and suggest products and services relevant to the location and other personal information about a specific user.
  • An Interactive Toy System has the capability of tracking user location and storing this infomiation. It is more likely that users will be willing to release this infomiation than would be the case for users of cellular phones, as toys use this infomiation to suggest products and services to their users. These products and services may have significant discounts, relevant to the current location of the user. In order to reduce user resistance of use and storage of such information, there is an option available to store this information in a less personalized mamier. In such a case, user identity remains anonymous but only certain properties ofthe user such as, for example, age, gender and interests, are corxelated with the movements of a user with his toy.
  • Toys provide a very effective method of market research about existing and future products. If, for example, a company would like to know whether a certain product would be accepted in a certain type of market, the company can arrange for the toys to ask questions to their users to learn about whether they would like such a product. Again the user's relationship with the toy plays an important role here as well as the existing infoiination in the database about user's interests and consumer related habits.
  • a toy may be passively “listening” to activities in a room, and, if equipped with light sensing or video camera equipment it may also be “watching” these activities. A toy may thus “learn” about activities of its user and his family, for example, by interjecting at certain points and asking about the type of game that they are playing.
  • an interactive toy system's database may be greatly enhanced if its information is shared with other commercial or any other database.
  • an interactive toy system can benefit from receiving infoiination about the users of cellular phones, not all of who will have toys, and the cellular phone companies benefit from receiving infoiination from such an interactive toy system database.
  • Such a database contains infoiination received using one or many of the unique possibilities described above.
  • Speech processing both voice recognition and text to speech, are areas which have very active R&D programs and which still require much work.
  • Speech processing both voice recognition and text to speech, are areas which have very active R&D programs and which still require much work.
  • many techniques on the market for using the sound of a human voice and converting it into text and for taking text and converting it into various human voices the results are still quite poor and the techniques require much improvement.
  • Interactive toy networks provide a unique opportunity for such tests.
  • users with different ages, languages, education levels and personalities. They listen to their toys and respond to them.
  • responses of that user is stored and may be quantified (as to whether it is one of a variety of suitable responses).
  • a user speaks his computer's attempts to understand this speech can be recorded and tested by asking him further questions, which are designed to detennine whether the speech was conectly understood.
  • An interactive toy network system provides an opportunity for aiding this research by allowing a multitude of users to carry on such conversations with their toys.
  • toys When toys respond to a user, the user's reaction to that toy's statement may be analyzed to determine whether that toy spoke in a reasonably human manner. Thus, for example, a user's response of "what did you say! would indicate a failure of the toy to communicate in such a case.
  • This infomiation is then used to improve tire Artificial Intelligence system.
  • toys in such an interactive toy system are used for education, a huge opportunity for all forms of research into education exists here. This includes research into which educational techniques are more effective, as well as, research to determine how children learn and develop.
  • the toys can also be used to give informal tests to users, either standardized or individualized, as a researcher may see fit.
  • Some toys in such a system may have the ability to learn from their enviromnent.
  • a toy may begin with a very limited vocabulary of words and phrases (possibly containing no words) and may attempt to repeat words and phrases that it hears. It may gauge user response its or other toy's phrases.
  • a toy acts in a similar way to a baby that is learning to speak.
  • a researcher may design such a leaming system to suit his theory of how humans learn speech and then test this theory out on the toys to see how much the toys can learn using the given method.
  • the network of toys described in this document requires an excellent security system.
  • such network contains a database of user information including highly confidential personal information and coimnercial infoimation including possibly credit card and bank information.
  • coimnercial infoimation including possibly credit card and bank information.
  • Inappropriate content includes primarily speech and action, which are either obscene or age inappropriate, but may also include unwanted inappropriate or unauthorized commercial content.
  • speech and action which are either obscene or age inappropriate, but may also include unwanted inappropriate or unauthorized commercial content.
  • an advertiser may try to send an advertisement to a user without proper authorization or which the user has specifically requested he not received.
  • Fake scripts can be particularly dangerous. Imagine, for example, that due to a security violation, all toys say something hoixible to all the children on the system at a particular moment. The reaction to such an event could harm the operation of such a system significantly, and causes damage to the system users.
  • the security system for such a network begins with the usual tight security of a properly secured computer system. All servers are behind "firewalls" which allow very limited and controlled access through the network. It is preferred that the database itself be stored on a device that is physically read-only so that it cannot be modified except by replacing the actual physical device.
  • the network may contain one or more private secure lines connecting the content providers to one or more servers, or connecting any other two sensitive parts of such a system to each other.
  • the idea is to set up a network of filters, at many points in the network, which filter content.
  • the content that is filtered includes both text and non-text content and will include sound files (which are filtered using voice recognition or using direct filtering of certain sound bites) as well as commands for actions to be taken by the toy.
  • a key feature of such filters is that they are context based. In other words, one may utilize a system's unique ability of having detailed information about who the sender and the receiver are supposed to be, and about who the receiver actually is. Thus one may know that this content is intended to be between a popular mouse character and a popular fuzzy owl or between a popular .toy villain and a well known robot. The supposed age of the sending and receiving users is also known. This infoi ation enhances the filters. For example one may filter out a case in which a popular furry owl sends a popular mouse character information about wars! Thus, besides simply having a security system based on user authentication, user content authentication may be based on the context ofthe message.
  • such a security system be adaptable. This means that it responds to its detailed knowledge ofthe current state ofthe system, and its users. Thus, for example, one can set up a system of alerts. So, for example, if there is no reason to be particularly concerned about exceptional security risks, the system might be on a low alert, which causes some default level of filtering to be used. However if the system is known to have been under attack, or if part of the system has been attacked with attempts to send inappropriate content, then the alert level can be changed. This may apply to all or in parts of this network, and both the general security and the filtering may be increased as necessary.
  • a filter which is placed at some point in the network receives input which includes the content itself together with information about the supposed sender and the intended recipient and the supposed type of content. It then queries the database on the server for characteristic features of sender and receiver (such as the age of the user, personality of the toy, habits and interests of the user etc.) and requests further information about the type of content expected.
  • characteristic features of sender and receiver such as the age of the user, personality of the toy, habits and interests of the user etc.
  • the database also knows the full history of alerts and security violations on the system as well as the experience of other parts of the system with such content.
  • the system infoims the server that then updates the filter engine and, if necessary, it may disallow content from that particular sender until the situation is cleared.
  • the filter checks the current level of any alerts that exists and then decides whether the content should be passed. If it passes the content then the system just continues. If it decides that the content should not be passed it rejects the content and sends the content to the server with all the infomiation it has about the incident. The server then decides whether to set an alarm.
  • the server decides based on the history of all previous alarms whether there is a pattern to be concerned about and thus decides which filters are to be modified, at what level and for how long.
  • the server sends off the alarm codes to the affected filters and then decides whether human intervention is needed, whether users should be informed and whether users should be urged to reset their system. In a serious case users may have to be informed by telephone or mail if their network comiection is consistently clown.
  • filters be placed at many points on such a network especially between the content providers and the system's server, at points within the server's system, between the server and the user and within the user's software on his computer.
  • One ofthe key points to place a filter is at the final stage between a user's computer and the transmission unit that transmits the content to his toy. This final check can be incorporated in the hardware of the transmission unit to avoid any external tampering. This provides a final check for fake content.
  • One traditional method for securing content is the coding of information to make sure that the infoimation sent is the one being received (this is often called an electronic signature). This is not sufficient in this case since one can imagine a scenario in which a person working for a content provider is paid by a competitor to send false information. His signature is accepted despite the improper content ofthe information.
  • This invention provides several methods to avoid this problem. First of all such a network of filters may filter out this unwanted infomiation. Secondly it is possible to minimize the damage caused by this scenario by informing the user when he opens up the content that it comes directly from the content provider. The rest of the system is properly seemed so that it is Icnown that the user is receiving the content in its original form. Thus the content provider will be blamed for the inappropriate content rather than those responsible for the system's server.
  • the content relates to a game being played then the previous results ofthe game can be used to help verify the content.
  • the level of filtering is configurable by a user, so that if, for example, a child user's parents want to use a cuddly stuffed animal to obtain some material appropiiate to a toy warier figure, that they would be able to do so.
  • a child could use one toy to represent another toy with a totally different personality.
  • the term "television network” may comprise any network interconnecting a plurality of displays large enough to display a pictorial scene.
  • Fig. 68 shows an interactive toy 8700 coimected to a network 8710 via an electronic device 8720.
  • Two computers 8730 and 8740 comiected to the network are also shown.
  • the computer 8730 stores a game for use by the toy 8700 and the computer 8740 stores a music lesson designed for use by the toy 8700.
  • the computers 8730 and 8740 are operative to present their respective data to the toy via the network 8710 and the electronic device 8720.
  • Fig. 69 shows a diagranmiatic example of sensors and actuators which may be incorporated into an interactive toy.
  • a controller 9540 preferably incorporating an RF transceiver, controls, in this example, two microphones 9470, a speaker 9550, a light 9490, two motors 9500 and 9510 which move the toy's arms and two sensors 9530 and 9560 which are activated when the end ofthe toy's arms are touched.
  • Fig. 70 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of the present invention in which a processor onboard a toy controls simple operations of the toy such as the movements of the toy whereas a computer on a network which is typically more powerful, controls more complex operations of the toy such as, for example, speech recognition, text-to speech synthesis or any other operations requiring large amounts of computing power or a large amount of data storage capabilities.
  • the tenn “interactive toy” refers to a toy which receives at least one control input from a toy controlling entity and which includes an electronic device capable of generating, at least partly in response to the control input, at least one output which is discernible by the toy controlling entity.
  • the toy controlling entity may be a human user and may alternatively be a device.
  • networked interactive toy means an interactive toy which is connected to the toy controlling entity via a network.
  • the toy therefore receives at least one control input over the network and may or may not receive additional, locally generated confrol inputs which are not transmitted over the network.
  • toy system shown and described herein is not useful only for children and alternatively may be used by adult toy users such as executive toy users.
  • Appropriate commercially available software for speech recognition include, but are not limited to, Via Voice and Voice Dictation by IBM; Naturally Speaking by Dragon Systems, L&H Voice Xpress by Lernout & Hauspie, and Conversa by Conversa.
  • Speech and Language Processing An Introduction to Natural Language Processing, Computational Linguistics and Speech Recognition by Dan Jurafsky, James H. Martin, Nigel Ward and Daniel Jurafsky; Published by Prentice Hall, January 2000.
  • WAP Wireless Application Protocol
  • GSM Global System for Mobile Communication
  • GSM Networks Protocols, Tem inology, and Implementation (Artech House Mobile Communications Library- January 1999) by Gunnar Heine
  • the software components of the present invention may, if desired, be implemented in ROM (read-only memory) form.
  • the software components may, generally, be implemented in hardware, if desired, using conventional techniques.

Abstract

La présente invention concerne des procédés et des appareils d'intégration de jouets interactifs à des systèmes de communications cellulaire et de télévision interactive. Ces jouets interactifs entretiennent des conversations en temps réel avec les utilisateurs, de préférence en utilisant la reconnaissance de la parole. De préférence, les jouets interactifs sont reliés à au moins un serveur de jouets interactifs relié de préférence à des fournisseurs de contenus de divertissement, d'éducation, de promotions de ventes, entre autres, si possible via des systèmes de communications par Internet. Une telle connexion peut utiliser, par exemple, des lignes téléphoniques, des systèmes de communications cellulaires, des câbles coaxiaux, des satellites, et des systèmes DSL ou d'autres systèmes à large bande. En outre, ces jouets interactifs peuvent être connectés, via une liaison sans fil, à un dispositif informatique, notamment un ordinateur familial, un décodeur de téléviseur interactif ou une unité de base qui fournit la connexion Internet au jouet. Par ailleurs, les jouets interactifs peuvent prendre en charge des communications satellite ou de téléphones cellulaires. Ils peuvent également fournir à l'utilisateur un contenu de divertissement, d'éducation, de promotions de ventes, etc. Ce contenu est fourni aux utilisateurs de jouets, ce qui permet à ces derniers de créer une relation avec les utilisateurs. En outre, les jouets interactifs utilisent des bases de connaissance pour adapter les contenus de divertissement, d'éducation et de promotions de ventes à l'historique de l'utilisateur, à son comportement et à ses habitudes. Le contenu est ensuite personnalisé à chaque l'utilisateur ainsi qu'à son environnement, notamment sa position et l'heure à laquelle il utilise le jouet. L'intégration de contenus, notamment de contenus de divertissement, d'éducation et de promotions de vente s'effectue par l'association de techniques de télévision interactive de fusion et de jouets interactifs.
PCT/IL2001/000246 2000-03-16 2001-03-14 Procedes et appareils d'integration de jouets interactifs a des systemes de communications cellulaires et de television interactive WO2001069799A2 (fr)

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