Method of operating a talking crystal ball toy

A Talking Crystal Ball Toy operatively electrically effective to respond to a previously asked question in which the battery-operated circuit providing this operating mode is completed through the body of the user which significantly enhances the play value of the toy.

The present invention generally relates to a sound-emitting toy in the 
specific form of a display simulating a fortune teller's crystal ball 
having an operating mode in which a question asked by the user is 
responded to by the toy, the response being, of course, the sound emission 
function embodied in the toy. 
EXAMPLES OF THE PRIOR ART 
Toys having an audio output as their play value are already well known. The 
audio output in some such known toys is, in fact, in the specific form of 
simulated speech or digitized voice tracks as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 
5,228,879 for "Toy Mirror Assembly" issued to Wayne G. Fromm on Jul. 20, 
1993. 
Simulated speech is also known to be used in a toy display consisting of a 
fortune teller's crystal ball as described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,765,623 for "Talking Crystal Ball Toy" issued to Gary J. Cardillo et 
al. on Aug. 23, 1988, of which the within "crystal ball" toy is an 
improvement having significantly enhanced play value. 
Broadly, it is an object to provide a talking crystal ball toy overcoming 
the nominal play value shortcoming of the prior art. 
More particularly, it is an object to embody a talking crystal ball toy 
with operating parameters better understood, and consequently better 
enjoyed, by the children using the toy, all as will be subsequently 
explained in detail.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,623 entitled "Talking Crystal Ball Toy" issued to 
Cardillo et al. on Aug. 23, 1988 which, by this reference, is incorporated 
herein in its entirety, the play value is a "double pass of the operator's 
hands over [the crystal ball]to give a randomly selected verbal response 
to a question asked by the operator". As a departure from this prior art 
which significantly enhances the already considerable play value of this 
known audio-emitting toy, the within inventive improvement contemplates 
use of a circuit for the audio emission (and also illumination) which is 
completed through the body of the user, thus replacing the referred to 
"double pass" arm movements with a more direct toy-contacting requirement 
that in practice has been found to be better understood as an operating 
parameter, and consequently better enjoyed, by the children using the toy. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the within fortune teller's simulated crystal ball is 
presented in a well known display consisting of a frosted glass sphere 11 
appropriated mounted in a plastic base 13. On opposite side of sphere or 
ball 11 and hidden in FIG. 1 under the user's fingers 15, but readily 
discernible in FIGS. 2 and 3, are external circuit contacts 10 and 12 
respectively electrically connected to electrical components illustrated, 
and soon to be described in detail, in the circuit diagram of FIG. 4, said 
electrical components being in an operative stored condition in an 
appropriate manner in an internal compartment 21 bounded by the ball 11 
and base 13. 
The operating mode-enhancement to the toy's play value contemplates, as 
illustrated in FIG. 1, the user first completing a circuit through his/her 
body resulting from contact of fingers 15 over the contacts 10 and 12. The 
circuit of FIG. 4 thusly completed, energizes a battery-operated bulb 
illuminating the ball 11, and functionally readying audio emitting means 
of said FIG. 4 circuit for an audio response to a previous question 
addressed to the illuminated ball 11 by the user which, in a well 
understood manner, will be a response randomly selected in the present 
embodiment of this invention from one of the below possible responses: 
NO WAY 
YES, NO DOUBT 
COULD BE 
NOT LIKELY 
NO CHANCE 
OF COURSE YOU CAN 
WHAT DO YOU THINK? 
WHATEVER 
YOU BET 
FOR SURE 
The operating parameter resulting in the audio response is the opening of 
the closed circuit occasioned by removal of finger contact 15 with the 
contacts 10, 12, as depicted in FIG. 2. Although the circuitry providing 
the operating mode of the toy 11, 13 which distinguishes over the prior 
art toy of U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,623 and all other known question-responding 
toys is well known and understood by those skilled in the art to which 
this invention appertains, for completeness' sake a description of said 
FIG. 4 circuit, in electrical art parlance, now follows. 
The circuitry of the present invention monitors the user's touch with the 
exposed metallic contact sensors, and upon sensing such contact, energizes 
the lights for so long as contact is maintained. When contact is released, 
the lights are extinguished, and the voice playback is activated. After a 
prerecorded phrase is played, the system resets itself for a subsequent 
contact. 
As depicted in FIG. 1, contact 10 is part of the input network for 
operational amplifier 14, while contact 12 is tied to ground. Operational 
amplifier 14 is configured as a comparator, whereby its output on line 24 
is high when the voltage at its positive input A is greater than the 
voltage at its negative input B. If the voltages are equal, or if the 
voltage at the negative input is greater that than the positive input, the 
output is low. 
Resistors 16, 20 form a voltage divider between V.sub.cc and ground for 
input A, while resistors 18, 22 form a similar voltage divider for input 
B. As well known, the voltage at the input V.sub.i =R.sub.1 + R.sub.2 
/R.sub.1 R.sub.2 where R.sub.1 is the resistance between the input and 
V.sub.cc' and R.sub.2 is the resistance between the input and ground. The 
values are chosen such that the voltage at B is slightly higher than at A, 
thus forcing the output of the amplifier to be low. Typically, the values 
for the resistors are in megohms, to insure minimal current flow. When the 
user contacts the sensors 10, 12, body resistance is placed in parallel 
with resistor 22, reducing the effective resistance between input B and 
ground, and thus lowering the voltage at the input. With the amplifier now 
sensing a greater voltage at input A the comparator turns "on" , driving 
the output 24 high for so long as the body contact is maintained. 
The output 24 of the amplifier is fed to the base of transistor 26. With a 
positive voltage applied to its base, the collector-emitter path of the 
transistor is enabled, allowing current to flow through the illumination 
elements 32. As shown in the Figure, the elements 32 may be light-emitting 
diodes, but other light sources, such as hot filament bulbs, may be used. 
Alternatively, the transistor 26 may drive a relay, allowing multiple 
light sources or other transducers to be driven as may be desired. 
Resistor 28 and parallel capacitor 30 may be placed between output 24 and 
ground to damp any transients in the amplifier output. When touch contact 
is released, the transistor 26 shuts off, extinguishing the illumination 
elements. 
When contact with the sensors is released, the voice cycle must be 
activated. The output of amplifier 24 is thus also coupled to the input of 
pulse generating circuit 34, which serves as the activating element for 
speech generator integrated circuit 36. Speech generator circuit 36, which 
may be a Texas Instruments TSP50C41, is programmed in a manner known in 
the art to select and synthesize one of a plurality of phrases stored in 
its integral memory. Speech output is initiated by the application of a 
pair of low pulses to its control terminals within a span of approximately 
3 seconds. Pulse generating circuit 34 is configured to provide such 
pulses on its output line 38. 
The steady state output of pulse generating circuit 34 on line 38 is high. 
This output is connected to the DP 30 terminal of speech circuit 36 and 
thus places it high, along with the INIT terminal, coupled to the DP 30 
terminal through resistor 40. Terminal DP 10 is maintained low because of 
diode 42. When pulse generating circuit 34 is activated by the return of 
the output 24 of amplifier 14 to the low state upon release of user 
contact with the contacts 10, 12, its output line 38 drops low a first 
time, driving the DP 30 and INIT terminals low, placing the DP terminal 
high. Within three seconds, the second low output on line 38 is generated, 
again driving the DP 30 terminal low, causing speech generation to occur. 
The speech is broadcast through speaker 44. 
Pulse generating circuit 34 may produce the low pulse outputs in any of a 
variety of manners as known in the art. For example, it may comprise a 
pair of multivibrators connected in parallel. Each multivibrator may be 
configured as a one-shot pulse generator, to provide a short duration 
low-output triggered by the transition of amplifier output line 24 from 
high to low. One of the multivibrators may be further configured to 
provide a short delay, about 1.5 seconds, before generating its output, 
providing the sequential pulses required by the speech generator. The 
outputs of the multivibrators are fed through an "or" gate to the output 
line 38. 
During the speech generation process, the DP10 terminal remains high, and 
additional pulse generating circuit pulse outputs during this period will 
have no effect on its operation. After generation is completed, a 
subsequent pair of pulses will start a new speech generation cycle. As 
known in the art, the speed of generator 36 is controlled by an external 
oscillator, comprised of crystal 46 and capacitors 48, 50. The oscillator 
controls the tonal quality of the synthesized speech. Typical values for 
the crystal is 3.07MHz, and for the capacitors, 33pf. Power V.sub.cc for 
the system may be supplied by batteries, coupled to provide between 4.5 
and 6 volts. Values for other circuit components depicted in the Figure 
may be easily determined by those skilled in the art. 
While the action toy for practicing the within inventive method, as well as 
said method herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of 
attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it 
is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently 
preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended 
to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined 
in the appended claims.