Patent ID: 6497607
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: A63H

Abstract:
An electrically controlled toy having parts that move in response to sensory inputs for simulating life-like movements, the toy comprising:a main body having an upper end and a lower end with a predetermined length therebetween to provide a compact toy that is readily portable from one location to another; a front facial area on the body at the upper end thereof; an eye assembly including eyes and eyelids extending laterally across the facial area of the body; a mouth assembly centered between the eye assembly therebelow on the body facial area; a pair of ears on either side of the body facial area; a foot portion at the lower end of the body; a plurality of sensors for detecting at least one of said plurality of sensors detecting at least one of rubbing, pushing and tilting of the toy body and sensing changes in lighting and predetermined auditory conditions; a drive system including a single, small electric motor in the compactly sized body which powers the movement of the mouth and eye assemblies and the ears and the foot portion to simulate life-like responses to the sensed conditions; a controller comprising sound generating circuitry for generating speech including multisyllabic words in response to signals from the sensors; a single control shaft of the drive system driven for rotation by the small electric motor, the shaft having a predetermined range of rotation for causing all of the movements of the body parts; a neutral position in the predetermined range of shaft rotation with the mouth assembly being closed at the neutral position and open at positions on either side of and adjacent to the neutral position so that rotation of the control shaft in one direction which sweeps one of the mouth closed positions on one side of the neutral position, the neutral position, and the other of the mouth closed positions on the other side of the neutral position and which is coordinated with generation of speech simulates talking with two syllables being formed without requiring reverse rotation of the shaft and the attendant power consumption thereby; and said controller processing signals from the sensors for activating the motor to cause the movement of the mouth, eyes, ears and foot portion in a coordinated life-like manner in response to the sensed conditions to provide the toy with a plurality of predetermined physical and emotional states, comprising a sleeping state with the eye assembly and the mouth assembly in respective closed positions, and the ears in a lowered position, and an excited state with the eye assembly in an open position, the ears in a raised position, and the mouth assembly moving between closed and open positions.