Abstract:
The toy figure has at least two force sensors. The total force applied to all the sensors by a person is measured by a force measuring device. One or more force measuring device output signals are sent to a data bus. Data bus signals are sent to a microcontroller. The microcontroller identifies a message group based on the maximum force signal received from the data bus and filters out data bus outputs that result from secondary force measuring device signals. The microcontroller sends a message group identification signal to the information storage device. The storage device broadcasts one of a plurality of messages from the message group.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The toy figure has pressure sensors that measure the force applied, a microcontroller, that selects an audible message group that corresponds to the force applied, and an information storage device that plays a selected audible message from the message group. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Machines are known that measure strength. One of these machines has a ball that is accelerated upward along a track by striking a lever with a large mallet. The maximum height attained by the ball represents the force exerted by the large mallet. 
     Machines with levers that are struck by a person&#39;s fist are also known. Some of these machines have a pad that is displaced when struck by a person&#39;s fist. The displacement of the pad is measured to determine the strength of the blow that was struck. Another machine accelerates a plate member upward along a track in response to being struck by a person&#39;s fist. The maximum height of the plate indicates the, force exerted by the blow. The fact that the ball, the plate or the pad were displaced a specific distance have no real meaning except that the distance can be compared to the distance obtained by another person using the same apparatus. 
     Dolls and other devices are available that make sounds when pressure is applied in different locations. Making the different sounds by applying pressure to a doll can be more fun for a child than striking the keys on a piano. However, the force applied to make the sound is not measured. 
     Numerous devices have been devised to measure the force applied to punching bags, martial arts training devices and training dummies for various contact sports. These devices are in some cases very expensive. Data concerning the force applied is usually provided. This data is generally visually displayed. Sometimes the display is on a computer printout or screen. 
     Dolls are available which provide an audible message in response to a predetermined signal. The signal is generally based upon the location on the doll where pressure is applied. The force applied is not considered as long as it is sufficient to trigger an audible response. A device for measuring force is not employed with such dolls. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The toy figure is a doll that has some resemblance to a known person. This person could be a well known wrestler, an Olympic weight lifter, a boxer, a football player or possible a politician. The doll houses a force measuring device and has multiple locations in which force can be applied. The trunk area can be squeezed and the hands or arms can be squeezed. Force applied to the feet or legs could also be measured. 
     The force measuring device measures the force applied to one or more of the sensors in the force applying positions. A signal is generated that indicates the maximum force applied. The signal is received by a data bus. The data bus sends signals to a microcontroller. The microcontroller sends instructions to an information storage device. The information storage device plays an audible message that indicates the force applied and plays one of a plurality of recorded messages. The recorded message that is played is appropriate for the force measured. Preferably there are five or so messages for each message group that represents a range of applied forces. One of these five messages is played each time a specific force range is attained. Once all five or so messages from one message group are played, the information storage device starts over and repeats messages. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following detailed description and appended drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the toy figure with the force sensor and the force measuring device shown in hidden lines; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, with parts broken away, showing a force sensor unit in an extremity; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of one way switch actuators on the underside of a force measuring device indicator disk; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the switch contacts that are activated by the one way switch activators; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a bowden wire connection to the force measuring device with parts broken away; 
     FIG. 6 a  is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the one way switch activators closing switch contacts; 
     FIG. 6 b  is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the one way switch activators moving past switch contacts without closing a circuit; and 
     FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The toy novelty FIG. 10 as shown in FIG. 1 has a trunk  12 , a head  13 , legs  14  and  16  and arms  18  and  20 . A wrestling championship belt  22  encircles the waist area of the trunk  12  as shown. Small boots  24  and  26 , similar to those worn by wrestlers, are attached to the feet. The appearance could be changed as desired without changing the function of the toy novelty FIG.  10 . 
     A force measuring device  28  is mounted in the chest area of the trunk  12  of the FIG. 10. A signal generator is associated with the force measuring device  28 . A signal that is proportional to a force applied to the FIG. 10 is generated and transmitted to a data bus  30 . The data bus  30  sends a signal, that is proportional to the force applied to the figure, to a microcontroller  32 . The microcontroller  32  sends instructions to an information storage device  34 . The information storage device  34  plays one of several audible messages that corresponds to the fore measured by the force measuring device  28 . The data bus  30 , the microcontroller  32  and the information storage device  34  are all mounted in the FIG.  10 . 
     The force measuring device  28  as shown is a common bathroom scale. The scale includes a case  36  and a top cover  38 . The top cover  38  sets on a linkage and springs. A force that urges the cover  38  toward the case  36  deforms the spring or springs, moves the cover toward the base and rotates a shaft  40  about a shaft axis  39 . A disk  42  is fixed to the shaft  40  and rotates with the shaft. Numbers and a scale  41  printed on one side of the disk indicate the force that is applied to the top cover  38 . An optional aperture  44  in the chest area of the trunk  12  exposes the disk  42  and permits a person to visually determine how much force is applied. If desired, a person can be weighed by standing on the trunk  12  over the top cover  38 . A number of different scales can be used in place of the measuring device  28  that is described above and shown in the drawing. 
     A force may be applied to the top cover  38  by squeezing the trunk  12 . Force can also be applied by squeezing the hand areas  46  and  48 . Each hand area  46  and  48  has a sensor that includes a bicycle hand brake device with a fixed bar  50  and a lever  52 . The lever  52  is pivotally attached to a support bracket  54  by a pivot pin  56 . The support bracket  54  is fixed to the fixed bar  50 . A bowden wire assembly  58  includes a sheath  60  and a cable  62 . One end of the sheath  60  abuts the support bracket  54 . An end of the cable  62  is attached to the lever  52  by a cable anchor pin  64 . Pivoting the lever  52  clockwise about the pivot pin  56  as shown in FIG. 2 pulls the cable  62  from the sheath  60 . A second end of the sheath  60  abuts a flange  66  on the top cover  38  of the force measuring device,  28 . The other end of the cable  62  passes through the flange  66 , around a pulley  68  journalled on a bracket  70  fixed to the top cover  38 , and is anchored to the case  36  by a sleeve  71 . When the cable  62  is pulled from the sheath  60  by the lever  52 , it is also pulled around the pulley  68  and into a second end of the sheath. This moves the top cover  38  toward the case  36  and exerts a force on the force measuring device  28 . Both bowden wire assemblies  58  work the same way. Force can be applied to one of the assemblies  58  or to both assemblies simultaneously. 
     Force applied to sensors in the legs  14  and  16 , the head  13  or other parts of the novelty FIG. 10 can be transferred to the force measuring device  28  by a bowden wire assembly  58 . Force could also be transferred by hydraulic fluid. A pump could be placed in each area where force is applied and fluid moved by the pump could act on a linear actuator attached to the force measuring device  28 . The pump can be a mere fluid bladder. The force measuring device  28  measures the force that is applied to all sensors simultaneously. 
     The force applied to the force mesuring device  28  rotates the shaft  40  and the disk  42 . A number of one way switch activators  72  are mounted on the bottom of the disk  42 . The activators  72  are spaced radially from the shaft  40  and spaced apart from each other radially a uniform distance. Switch activators  72  are also spaced angularly around the shaft  40  from each other. Each activator includes a pair of mounting brackets  74  fixed to the bottom of the disk  42 . A pivot pin  76  is supported by each pair of mounting brackets  74  with its axis parallel to the disk and extending radially from the shaft  40 . A lever  78  with a stop arm  80  and a cam arm  82  is journalled on the pivot pin  76 . A spring  84  attached to the disk  42  acts on the stop arm  80  and urges the lever  78  in a clockwise direction as shown in FIGS. 6 a  and  6   b.    
     The switch activator  72  and the disk  42  move in the direction indicated by the arrow  86  in FIG. 6 b  when force on the force measuring device  28  is increasing. The weak spring  84  permits the lever  78  to pivot counterclockwise, as indicated by the arrow  88 , upon contact between the cam surface  90  and a movable electrical contact member  92 . The switch activator  72  passes over the contact member  92  without forcing the movable contact member into contact with the adjacent fixed electrical contact member  94 . 
     A decrease in the force on the force measuring device permits a spring or springs to start to rotate the disk  42  and the switch activator  72  in the direction indicated by arrow  96  in FIG. 6 a . Upon contact between the cam surface  90  and the contact member  92 , the stop arm  80  contacts the disk  42  and prevents further clockwise movement of the switch activator  72  about the pivot pin  76 . Further movement of the activator  72  and the disk  42  in the direction of the arrow  96  results in the cam surface  90  forcing the movable electrical contact  92  into contact with the adjacent fixed electrical contact member  94 . Contact between the member  92  and the member  94  closes a circuit. When the force applied to the force measuring device  28  is increasing, the activator  72  past the contact members  92  and  94  and leave all the circuits open. Upon a decrease in the force applied to the force measuring device  28 , the last movable contact member  92  that was past over by one of the switch activators  72  without closing a circuit will be the first movable contact member to be cammed into contact with an adjacent fixed electrical contact member  94  to form a closed circuit. The first closed circuit will indicate the maximum force applied to the force measuring device  28  and will be the first electrical signal transmitted to the data bus  30 . The data bus  30  sends signals to the information storage device  34  that corresponds to the first signal received from one of the switch activators. The switch activators  72  that passed over movable contact members  92  earlier will subsequently close open circuits. The signals that result from these subsequently closed circuits are filtered out by the microcontroller  32 . 
     The fixed electrical contact members  94  are connected to four separate plate members  100 ,  102 ,  104  and  106  as shown in FIG.  4 . The plate member  100  is connected to the data entry bus port X 1  by lead  108 . The plate member  102  is connected to the data entry bus port X 2  by lead  110 . The plate member  104  is connected to the data entry bus port X 3  by lead  112 . The plate member  106  is connected to the data entry bus port X 4  by lead  114 . 
     Data entry bus port Y 1  is connected to four movable electrical contact members  92  by leads  120 . Data entry bus port Y 2  is connected to four movable electrical contact members  92  by leads  122 . Data entry bus port Y 3  is connected to four movable electrical contact members  92  by leads  124 . Data entry bus port Y 4  is connected to one electrical contact member  92  by lead  126 . Note that the data entry bus port Y 4  is capable of handling three more leads  126  and three more switch activators  72  if desired. 
     The data entry bus  30  has five pins A, B, C, D and DA connected respectively to pins RB 0 , ROB 1 , RB 2 , RB 3  and RB 4  of a microcontroller  32  by leads  130 ,  132 ,  134 ,  136  and  138 . These five pairs of pins are capable of sending and receiving sixteen messages. 
     Pins RC 7 , RC 6 , RC 5 , RC 4 , RC 3 , RC 2 , RC 1 , RC 0 , RB 7 , and RB 6  on the micrcontroller  32  are connected respectively to the pins A 0 -A 9  on the information storage device  34  by leads  140 - 158 . 
     Pins RA 0 , RA 1 , RA 2 , and RA 3  on the microcontroller  32  are connected respectively to pins  25 ,  27 ,  24  and  23  on the information storage device  34  by leads  160 ,  162 ,  164  and  166 . 
     The information storage device  32  has an audio speaker  168  that is mounted inside the novelty toy FIG. 10 in a protected position. Leads  260  and  262  from the speaker  168  are connected to ports  14  and  15  on the information storage device  34 . 
     The data bus  30 , the microcontroller  32  and an information storage device  34  are powered by five volt direct current batteries. A five volt source  200  is connected to port  18  on the data entry bus  30 . Ports KBM and OSC on the data entry bus  30  are grounded through capacitors  202  and  204 . A five volt power source  206  is connected to a port  2  on the microcontroller  32 . A second five volt power source  208  is connected to a port  28  of the microcontroller  32 . The microcontroller  32  port  4  is connected to a ground  210 . The ports  28  and  16  of the information storage device  34  are connected to a five volt power source  212 . Ports  12 ,  13 ,  19  and  26  of the information storage device  34  are connected to grounds  214 ,  216 ,  217 ,  218  and  220 . Capacitors C 6 , C 7  and C 8  are provided in the leads connected to grounds  214 ,  216  and  217  respectively. A capacitor C 2  is connected in parallel with a resistor R 2  in the lead to ground  218 . Ports ANA IN and ANA OUT in the information storage device  34  are connected by a circuit including a capacitor C 3  in series with a resistor R 6 . A single five volt battery can supply current to the data bus  30 , the microcontroller  32  and the information storage device  34  if desired. 
     As described above the entire system including the power source or sources is contained in the FIG.  10 . When used for the intended use, the FIG. 10 will be subjected to numerous outside forces. As a result, the useful life of the FIG. 10 may be relatively short. The data entry bus  30 , the microcontroller  32 , the information storage device  34  minus the speaker  168  and the power supply can be mounted in a separate control box and attached to the FIG. 10 by an umbilical cord. The umbilical cord in this arrangement connects the separate control box to the movable electrical contact members  92 , the fixed electrical contact members  94  and the speaker  168 . 
     The first movable contact member  92  that contacts a fixed electrical contact member  94  selects a message group that corresponds to a force applied to the FIG.  10 . The information storage device  34  then plays one of several recorded messages that correspond to the force applied to the FIG. 10. A plurality of recorded messages preferably includes at least five different messages. One of the five messages from the message group is played each time the message group is activated. The next message in a message group is played the next time that message group is activated. After all the messages in a message group have been played, the information storage device will start over with the first message the next time that particular message group is activated. After a short delay following the broadcast of a recorded message, the microcontroller  32  is reset and the system is ready to receive another force input from the sensors in the toy FIG.  10 . 
     Obviously, many modifications and variation of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. The invention is defined by the claims.