Abstract:
A speech or phrase emitting celebration device, in the nature of a piñata, includes a longitudinal axial channel within which is placed a complementally sized integrated circuit (“IC”) including a library of pre-programmed voice chips having phrases selected by random. The circuit is responsive to impacts or shocks upon a fanciful housing of the device sufficient to actuate a shock sensor switch thereof. A speaker, in electrical communication with the circuit board of the integrated circuit, is in mechanical communication with a speaker at an end of the channel so that the emitted phrase may be heard by those in the vicinity of the device. A hollow cylindrical sensor may be disposed within the interior channel to provide appropriate input to the shock sensor switch, or a more sensitive discrete element sensor may be used.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    A. Area of Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a Hispanic celebration device which annunciates one or more different messages upon impact to the device.  
           [0003]    B. Prior Art  
           [0004]    Toys are known that incorporate voice chips which, when activated, broadcast selected noises or messages during movement or play with the toy to thereby render such a toy more versatile and attractive to play with. The invention more particularly relates to a substantially solid cylindrical or character-shaped celebration device known as a piñata which, in the course of celebration, is typically impacted by a stick or a human foot to trigger one of a set of randomly different messages appropriate to the occasion being celebrated, and is generally intended as a single use device. An example of the prior art is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,839 (1994) to Pagani, entitled Impact Sensitive Talking Ball, this teaching a device which responds to vibration of a type which can be imparted by the hand or arm of a child, this as opposed to a toy responsive to impact by a stick or other such acute application force that would pierce or break the housing of the device.  
           [0005]    Piñatas, as such, have been subject to various U.S. patents as is reflected in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,658 (1976); 4,167,078 (1979); 4,186,514 (1980); 4,253,266 (1981); 4,787,872 (1988); 5,263,889 (1993); 5,242,308 (1993) 5,562,518 (1996); 5,824,378 (1998); 6,059,708 (2000); and 6,171,166 (2001). None of these devices exhibit a talking or annunciation capability.  
           [0006]    In Hispanic culture the “breaking of the piñata” is an important aspect of many celebrations. However, if the piñata is “broken,” it follows that the piñata cannot be re-used. However, due to economic and practical considerations involving the number of piñatas employed on particular occasions and their costs, one may wish to use a more elaborate or aesthetic device that is re-usable or a device having a re-usable element such as a voice chip. Nonetheless, the problem remains of developing a piñata which is sufficiently responsive to impact such that it appears to be “broken” in something approaching the traditional sense. The instant invention addresses this problem by providing annunciation means to a piñata so that, if impacted with sufficient force, a shock switch will trigger a voice chip circuit which broadcasts a message. Thereby, an incentive will exist to strike the piñata, typically with a stick, with sufficient impact to cause the broadcast of an occasion-specific message or one of a randomly mixed set of occasion-specific messages upon sufficient impact or shock to the piñata.  
           [0007]    The instant invention thereby addresses a long felt need in the art for a “talking” piñata having an optionally re-usable voice chip element, and which satisfies cultural needs associated with the ceremonial use thereof to “break the piñata.” 
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    A speech or phrase emitting celebration device, in the nature of a piñata, includes a longitudinal axial channel within which is placed a complementally sized integrated circuit (“IC”) including a library of pre-programmed voice chips having phrases selected at random. Said circuit is responsive to impacts or shocks upon a fanciful housing of the device sufficient to actuate a shock sensor switch thereof. A speaker, in electrical communication with the circuit board of the integrated circuit, is in mechanical communication with a speaker at an end of said channel so that the emitted phrase may be heard by those in the vicinity of the device. A hollow cylindrical sensor may be disposed within said interior channel to provide appropriate input to the shock sensor switch, or a more sensitive discrete element sensor may be used.  
           [0009]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a ceremonial device in the nature of a piñata which will annunciate one of a set of pre-programmed phrases, responsive to sufficient impact upon the housing thereof.  
           [0010]    It is another object to provide an impact sensitive ceremonial device.  
           [0011]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a talking toy of a type that will broadcast only when impacted by a stick, or other means, with sufficient force.  
           [0012]    It is another object to provide a piñata having a re-usable voice chip IC circuit.  
           [0013]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a piñata having a recording feature.  
           [0014]    It is another object to provide a piñata that evokes responses based upon the magnitude of shock applied to the piñata.  
           [0015]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a piñata that opens to dispense a product when the piñata is struck.  
           [0016]    It is a yet further object to control the output of light from the piñata in response to striking of a piñata.  
           [0017]    It is still another object of the invention to provide a piñata having a programming feature.  
           [0018]    It is a yet further object to prevent unauthorized programming or reprogramming of a piñata.  
           [0019]    The above and yet other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent for the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings and Detailed Description of the Invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of the inventive piñata being impacted by a bat or stick.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a radial cross-sectional view taken along Line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1, the same showing a manner of positioning of the integrated circuit board relative to the interior diameter of a central longitudinal channel of the device.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is an enlarged breakaway view of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is an electrical schematic of an integrated voice chip circuit board in accordance with the invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a view of the rigid substrate of the IC board of FIG. 4.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is an electrical schematic of a second embodiment of the invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a third embodiment thereof.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]    In the views of FIGS.  1  to  3  are shown a piñata  10 , typically having a fanciful or cylindrical structure with a length to diameter ratio of about 5 to 3. The material of a solid annular housing  12  is typically a cardboard or paper mache-like material but, as well, may be made of an appropriate thermoplastic, such as frangible polystyrene. Its actual appearance may be that of an animal or cartoon character. Axially disposed within piñata  10  is a longitudinal channel  14  having disposed at a lower end  16  thereof, an external speaker  18 . Said speaker is in electrical communication with an integrated circuit (IC) board  20  which is suspended within channel  14  by compressed cotton  22 , or other padding, disposed above and below IC board  20  within the channel  14 .  
         [0028]    Shock from an external force  24  as, for example, might result from the impact upon the piñata  10  by a stick or bat  25  will be communicated through said housing  12  of the piñata and, therefrom, to a shock sensor  26  which is in electrical communication with IC board  20 . This is shown schematically by wire  28  in FIGS.  1  to  3 . It is of course to be appreciated that a shock sensor of sufficient sensitivity may be placed directly upon the IC board, as a discrete element, this as opposed to the use of hollow cylindrical sensor  26 .  
         [0029]    As may be noted in FIG. 4, the integrated circuit thereof is provided with a voice chip library  30 , such as an IS22C022 chip which includes a random selection means such that each time shock sensor  26  is actuated, the voice chip library  30  will chose a different one of a plurality of pre-programmed phrases at random, and will send the same to speaker  18 . Appropriate powering of the circuit is enabled through the use of a resistor  44 , zener diode  32 , and a filter capacitor  34 . Also, appropriate current from a battery  35  to the speaker  18  is enabled through the use of transistor  36  which is biased by resistor  38 . Further shown in FIG. 4 is an on-off switch  40 , biasing resistor  42 , and shock sensor  26 .  
         [0030]    A rigid substrate of the PC board  20  is shown in FIG. 5, illustrating therein one of numerous potential configurations of the components shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0031]    It may, thereby be appreciated that there is, through the above, provided a battery-powered talking piñata capable of broadcasting event-specific phrases responsive to a shock or impact of sufficient magnitude. Further, by housing of all components within a paper tube  46  (see FIG. 3) within channel  14  of the piñata, in combination with sufficient padding  22  thereof, the shock sensor  26  of the IC board may be employed to monitor impacts of sufficient force upon the surface of the piñata to actuate the voice chip library.  
         [0032]    It is to be further appreciated that said paper tube  46  may, if desired, be removed from the piñata after the “breaking” thereof, for use in another piñata.  
         [0033]    Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 in which a microcontroller  50  is connected to circuitry to enable sounds to be recorded for later playback. Specifically, the microcontroller  50  is attached to a mic/speaker  51  through an output amplifier  52  that is responsive to a select signal  53  from the microcontroller  50  to selectively enable output amplifier  52  to receive and amplify an audio signal  54  generated by microcontroller  50  such that an amplified audio signal  55  is applied to speaker  51 . Thus, when the shock sensor  59  is disturbed by an impact of sufficient magnitude, the speaker  51  outputs sound from the piñata. This is the normal operation mode of the talking piñata.  
         [0034]    However the piñata of this embodiment also incorporates a “record” mode which is invoked by closing program switch  56 . Prior to the closing of switch  56 , the microcontroller  50  is in a low-power sleep mode state. Microcontroller  50  detects the closure of switch  56 , wakes up, and after a predetermined switch “debounce” and time delay inverts the polarity of the select signal  53 . The select signal  53  is operative to turn off output amplifier  52 , and turn on input amplifier  57 .  
         [0035]    It is well known that a speaker can be used as a microphone by application of a current through a speaker coil and detection of the change in current through the coil due to vibration of the speaker cone caused by incident sound. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, input amplifier  57  is responsive to said select signal  53  to provide the necessary bias current to mic/speaker  51 . Input amplifier  57  further detects and amplifies the audio signal  55  output by mic/speaker  51  and provides an audio signal  58  to microcontroller  50 . Microcontroller  50  inputs and processes audio signal  58  in a manner well known in the art, for example, by converting the analog audio signal into a digital signal. The microcontroller may optionally further process the signal by using one of a number of well known audio compression techniques, such as MP3 compression. The microcontroller  50  stores an electrical representation of the audio signal in a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM or flash memory that is either integral to the microcontroller or connected to the microcontroller through an interface (not shown).  
         [0036]    While it is possible to record sound of predetermined duration, it is preferable to enable sounds of varying durations to be recorded. To this end, microcontroller  50  records sounds applied to the microphone/speaker while switch  56  is closed. The reopening of switch  56  indicates that the desired audio has been sampled. The microcontroller  50  therefore identifies and associates the electrical representation of the audio segment with a sound segment that can be played when the piñata is subjected to an impact. After recording the first sound segment, program switch  56  may again be closed to record a subsequent sound segment. This process may be repeated to record as many sound segments as the nonvolatile memory can hold.  
         [0037]    It may be appreciated that the various components shown in FIG. 6 may be embodied in an ASIC. Also, the speaker/microphone and associated circuitry may be replaced by separate speaker and microphone elements. While the embodiment of FIG. 6 has been described in terms of digital processing of an analog signal, it is also possible to utilize analog sampling, processing and storage techniques. For example, a received audio signal may be stored using one or more analog storage elements, and compression may be achieved using analog compander circuitry. Shock sensor  59  may be replaced by a piezoelectric device to detect movement or sound.  
         [0038]    In a further embodiment, shown in FIG. 7, a microcontroller  80  is connected to speaker  82  through output amplifier  81 . The output amplifier  81  is responsive to control signal  83  to control the volume of the sound emanating from speaker  82 . Shock gauge  84  is a sensor whose electrical characteristics vary in response to movement. For example, shock gauge  84  may comprise a strain gauge attached to a diaphragm such that when the piñata is struck, the resistance of the strain gauge changes in response to the shock impulse imparted to the diaphragm. Microcontroller  80  detects the magnitude of the shock impulse by monitoring the resistance of the strain gauge or, alternatively, the current through the strain gauge. The microcontroller  80  selects one of a plurality of predetermined audio responses to be output to the speaker  82  based upon the severity of the shock applied to the piñata. Accordingly, for example, the piñata may evoke a more antagonistic response, or a louder response when the piñata is struck a more severe blow.  
         [0039]    As shown in FIG. 7, said embodiment may include a product dispenser  90 . The product dispenser preferably consists of an opening in the piñata covered by a spring loaded dispenser door  91 . Products  92 , such as candy, small toys, and the like are placed within the piñata through door  91  or through an additional opening in the piñata. Following such placement, the door  91  is closed. In operation, opening of the dispenser door is effected by a solenoid  93  which is controlled by a dispense signal  89  from microcontroller  80 .  
         [0040]    Dispensing of product may be accomplished in a number of ways. For example, the microcontroller  80  may be programmed to dispense all of the product when a blow of sufficient magnitude is detected through the shock gauge  84 . Alternatively, product may be dispensed after a predetermined number of hits of any magnitude are detected. This alternative would be especially desirable in instances in which those participating in the piñata celebration are very young. In addition, the dispense signal  89  may be of such a duration as to allow limited quantities of product to be dispensed each time a dispense decision is made, thereby enabling all participants to be successful in “breaking” the piñata.  
         [0041]    LED&#39;s  85  and  86  are also controlled in response to the striking of the piñata. These LED&#39;s are preferably placed in the position of the eyes of the figure represented by the piñata, though they may also be placed elsewhere on the piñata. The LED&#39;s may be lit in accordance with the programming within the microcontroller program, or alternatively may be lit in accordance with a separate enunciator or shock sensor (not shown).  
         [0042]    An interface connector  88  provides for programming of the piñata, and/or downloading of new features or programming into the piñata. A preferred interface is an I2C Bus interface. However any interface capable of transferring data into the piñata would be suitable. The interface enables a variety of custom or semi-custom audio segments to be downloaded into the piñata from a computer or other peripheral device. Thus, for example, a purchaser of a piñata may visit a web site and listen to a variety of alternative phrases, sounds, or voices. The purchaser may then specify a set of audio segments to be included in the piñata of his choice. Piñata parameter settings may also be selected, such as for example, the relative volume settings of selected segments, the order in which segments should be played, and the shock levels required to invoke certain responses. This information is then used to create customized download files which are downloaded into the piñata via the interface connector  88  prior to delivery of the piñata to the customer. It should be noted that the interface connector  88  may optionally comprise an acceptor for a memory element such as a ROM, EEPROM, or flash memory. In such a case, the programming information is programmed into the interface connector  88  prior to delivery of the piñata, or the piñata control device to the customer.  
         [0043]    Programming of the piñata is advantageously limited to prevent unauthorized reprogramming of piñata hardware. Limiting reprogramming is especially important when the piñata module is reusable. This can be accomplished by embedding in the piñata&#39;s microcontroller a cryptographic signature algorithm such as RSA or DSA to ensure that downloading of new audio segments, parameters, or programming is limited to authorize distributors.  
         [0044]    While there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention may be embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and described and that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlying ideas or principles of this invention as set forth herewith.