Patent ID: 6554679
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: A63H

Abstract:
An interactive talking doll, comprising:a doll, said doll including a head, containing a mouth, and torso; said torso including two arms, each with a hand and two legs; and a plurality of coded keys, each said key simulating a respective one of a plurality of items normally placed in the mouth by a person, including food, beverage and medicine, each of said coded keys being of a size to fit within said mouth; said doll further including: battery powered microprocessor; speaker; speech synthesizer coupled to said speaker for converting digital electronic statements into audible statements; a plurality of sensors coupled to said microprocessor, whereby said computer is able to determine when a respective sensor is activated; said sensors being distributed at different positions about said doll, including: first and second sensors respectively in said two hands; third sensor on the top side of said head; a fourth sensor in the front side of said torso; a fifth sensor on the bottom of said torso; a coded key sensor coupled to said microprocessor, said coded key sensor being located within said mouth, whereby said microprocessor is able to identify coded keys inserted within said mouth; liquid crystal display; a settable electronic clock for tracking the time of day; said electronic clock being coupled at least to said liquid crystal display and having an output coupled to said microprocessor for providing time of day information to said microprocessor; a memory; said memory storing a plurality of verbal statements in digital electronic form; said verbal statements including: a plurality of request statements, said request statements each identifying an action to be taken that produces activation of a particular one of said sensors or said coded key sensor; a plurality of acknowledgment statements; a plurality of general statements; a plurality of request statements, including at least one request statement associated respectively with each of said plurality of coded keys; said plurality of acknowledgment statements including a statement associated with each of said plurality of coded keys indicating that the coded key inserted was incorrect; said plurality of general statements including a statement that it is time to sleep and that one doll does not wish to play; said memory further storing a wake time at an hour during the morning and a sleep time at an hour during the evening; said memory further including a program for said microprocessor; said program correlating at least some of said request statements with a specific hour of the day, whereby said microprocessor issues a request statement at a specific hour during the day; said program checking said electronic clock to determine the hour of the day and determining whether the hour is after said wake time and prior to said sleep time, and, if so, determining whether any request statement is correlated to the hour; said program further selecting a first one of said request statements from amongst request statement correlated to the particular time of day for broadcast through said speaker and issuing said one request statement through said speech synthesizer and said speaker; determining whether the request has been satisfied within a predetermined interval, and, if not, repeating said first one of said request statements for broadcast through said speaker, and, if satisfied, selecting a first acknowledgment statement for broadcast through said speaker, whereby said doll simulates human understanding of an activity; and, after a subsequent interval, selecting another one of said request statements for broadcast through said speaker; wherein said program in determining whether the request has been satisfied within a predetermined interval further includes checking of said sensors and said coded key sensor to detect compliance with a request statement that requires a particular sensor be activated or a particular coded key be inserted within said doll's mouth; said program checking said clock to determine whether the time of day is after said sleep time and prior to said wake time, and inhibiting the generation of request statements during the time interval between said sleep time and said wake time, defining a sleep interval, and, responsive to actuation of any of said sensors or said coded key sensor during said sleep interval, for selecting and issuing the one of said general statements representing that it is time to sleep and that one doll does not wish to play.