Patent Publication Number: US-2007099537-A1

Title: Electronic toy set with a controllable figure

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims priority to Application No. 60/726,767, filed on Oct. 14, 2005.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a toy figure.  
      2. Prior Art  
      There have been marketed toy figures that can be operated by a user. For example, there have been marketed figures with multiple joints that are attached to a plate by wires or strings. The plate can be pushed by the user to relax the joints and move the figure. Such a toy has a limited play action. It would be desirable to provide a toy figure that has a more sophisticated play action.  
      There have been marketed games that prompt a certain response from a user. For example, Hasbro Games marketed an electronic handheld game under the name BOP-IT that generated audio commands for the user to pull, twist or hit a moveable unit in a certain sequence. Points were awarded for successful responses. There has also been marketed electronic dance mats. The dance mats include a screen to prompt certain dance steps and a mat with portions that became illuminated to prompt movement of the user&#39;s feet.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A toy game set that includes a figure coupled to a base. The game set includes an input device that can be manipulated to move a figure. The figure can be either a mechanical device or displayed by a screen. The game set further includes a speaker that generates music.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of a toy game set;  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic of the toy game set;  
       FIG. 3  is an illustration of a figure being attached to a housing;  
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the toy game set;  
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the toy game set;  
       FIG. 6  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the toy game set;  
       FIG. 7  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the toy game set;  
       FIG. 8  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the toy game set;  
       FIG. 9  is an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the toy game set.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Disclosed is a toy game set. The toy includes a plurality of buttons coupled to a housing. The housing includes a processor and speaker that can generate music. The buttons can be depressed by the user to move the figure. The user can move the figure in rhythm with the music. The figure can be a mechanical doll. Alternatively, the figure can be displayed by a screen.  
      Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show an embodiment of a toy game set  10 . The toy  10  includes a  FIG. 12  that can be attached to a housing  14 . The  FIG. 12  may include a plurality of individual components  16  that can move about a number of figure joints  18 . The  FIG. 12  may have a plurality of wires  20  that are attached to the various components  16  and a mechanism  22 . The mechanism  22  may include a plate  24  and plurality of springs  26  that are coupled to strings or wires  20 . Movement of the plate  24  can move the wires  20  into and out of tension such that the figure components  16  move about the joints  18 .  
      The housing  14  may be constructed from two different halves  28 . By way of example, the housing halves  28  may be constructed from molded plastic material. Likewise, the  FIG. 12  components  16  may be molded plastic such as a high impact styrene. The toy  10  may have an input device such as a plurality of buttons  30  that can be depressed by a user. The buttons  30  can be coupled to the figure plate  24  by a plurality of linkages  32 . Pushing button  30  rotates a corresponding linkage  32 . The linkage  32  then moves the plate  24  and  FIG. 12 . The toy  10  may include lights  34 , such as LEDs, that become illuminated when the user presses a corresponding button  30 . The lights  34  may become illuminated in a pattern to prompt the user to press the buttons in the same pattern.  
      The toy  10  includes a speaker  36  that is connected to a processor  38 . The processor  38  can provide electrical signals to drive the speaker  36  and generate music. By way of example, the processor  38  may include memory that stores a plurality of songs that can be generated through the speaker  36 .  
      The  FIG. 12  may include an electrical identification device  40 . The housing  14  may include electrical contacts  42  that sense the identification device  40 . Each  FIG. 12  may have a unique ID provided by the device  40 . By way of example, the device  40  may be a resistor, wherein each figure has a resistor of a different ohmic value. Alternatively, the device  40  may be a circuit that stores an electronic ID that is then provided to the processor  38 . As another alternative, the device  40  may be a circuit that contains a song or songs that can be played through the processor  38  and speaker  36 .  
      The processor  38  can generate a song that is unique to the  FIG. 12 . One  FIG. 12  may cause the generation of one song or set of songs, another figure will cause the generation of another song or set of songs. The housing  14  may include an electrical connector  44 , such as a mini-jack or a mini-jack port, that allows the processor  38  to be coupled to an external source of music through a cable  46 . The electrical components can be powered by one or more batteries  48 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 3  the  FIG. 12  can be attached to the housing  14 . The toy  FIG. 12  and housing  14  may have mechanical features that lock the  FIG. 12  into place. The processor  38  and speaker  36  can then generate a song. The user can depress the buttons  30  to move the  FIG. 12 . The user can attempt to move the  FIG. 12  in rhythm with the music. The  FIG. 12  can be detached from the housing  14  and replaced with a different  FIG. 12 . The processor  38  can read the ID of the new figure and generate a different song or set of songs. The user again attempts to move the  FIG. 12  through the buttons  30  in step with the rhythm of the music.  
       FIG. 4  shows an alternate embodiment of the toy  FIG. 100  with a  FIG. 102  attached to a housing  102 . In this embodiment, the housing  102  has a cam  102  that is rotated by a motor  104 . The motor  104  may also continually move the figure while the user provides additional movement through the buttons.  
      The cam  102  has a pin  106  that moves a plate  108  of the  FIG. 102 . Movement of the plate  108  moves the  FIG. 102  into different positions. The  FIG. 102  may include a circuit  110  that stores one or more songs that are played through a speaker (not shown) of the housing. The motor  104  may move the  FIG. 102  in rhythm with the song. The toy  100  may also have input buttons (not shown) coupled to the motor that allow the user to move the  FIG. 100  in rhythm with the music.  
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment, wherein the housing  150  includes a plurality of solenoids  152 . The solenoids  152  include plungers  154  that can move up and down to move a plate (not shown) of a figure. The housing  150  may include a circuit  156  coupled to the solenoids  152  that moves the figure in rhythm with music generated from a speaker  158  of the housing  150 . The housing  150  may include buttons  160  that can be depressed by the user. The buttons  160  are coupled to the circuit  156  and/or solenoids  152 . Depressing the buttons  160  can cause a corresponding activation of the solenoids  152  and movement of the figure.  
       FIG. 6  shows another embodiment, wherein the  FIG. 200  has a single wire  202  extending through a torso  204 . The wire  202  is coupled to a motor  206 . The wire  202  may be eccentric so that rotation by the motor causes movement of the  FIG. 200 .  
       FIG. 7  is another embodiment, wherein the toy  FIG. 250  includes a plurality of lights  252 . There may be a light or set of lights  252  associated with each button  254 . The lights  252  can be illuminated to prompt the user to push certain buttons  254 . For example, the light on the left hand side can be illuminated to prompt the user to depress the button  254  on the left hand side. The lights  252  may be arranged into rows of lights wherein the lights can be illuminated to allow the user to anticipate which buttons should be depressed next. For example, in one row of lights a single light may be illuminated, followed by two lights then three lights. This sequence of lights allows the user to anticipate when the button associated with the row of lights should be depressed. The lights  252  can be illuminated in a pattern to prompt the user to depress the buttons  254  in the same pattern and at the exact time when either all lights within a row are illuminated, or when one final light, in a sequence of previously lit lights, is illuminated. The pattern may be such that the  FIG. 256  moves in rhythm with the music. The toy may generate a score that corresponds with the number of times the user correctly depresses a button and/or when the timing of when the button is depressed relative to the illumination of lights within a row.  
       FIG. 8  is another embodiment of a toy game set  280  constructed as a hand held unit. The game set  280  includes a screen  282  attached to a housing  284 . The game  280  has a plurality of buttons  286  that can be manipulated by the fingers of a user. The screen  282  may display a  FIG. 288 . The  FIG. 288  can move in conjunction with depression of the various buttons  286 . The game set  280  may include a plurality of lights  290  that are illuminated in a pattern to invoke a corresponding pattern of button depression by the user. Music may be generated through a speaker  292 . The user then depresses the buttons to move the  FIG. 288  in rhythm with the music. The game set  280  may include a controller, screen and speaker drivers, etc. located within the housing  284  that control operation of the game.  
       FIG. 9  shows another embodiment of a game set  300 . The game set  300  includes a console  302  that can be attached to television set  304  or other type of visual display device by a cable  306 . The television  304  can display a  FIG. 308  and a plurality of graphical lights  310 . The console  302  has a plurality of buttons  312  that can be depressed by a user. The console  302  may contain a controller, drivers, etc. that control the operation of the game so that the  FIG. 308  moves in conjunction with the user&#39;s depression of the buttons  312 . The graphical lights  310  can be “illuminated” in a sequence to prompt a corresponding response by the user.  
      While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.