Abstract:
A puzzle apparatus comprising a first plurality of puzzle blocks that form a distinct visual representation per side when combined together that includes a representation of at least one cartoon character, a magnet associated with each side of the puzzle blocks, a platform on which the puzzle blocks can be arranged, a detector for sensing the magnet and sound generating apparatus for producing audible sounds corresponding to the character shown on the puzzle blocks. A second magnet and sensor determines the proper orientation of each puzzle block.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
   This is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 10/863,108 filed Jun. 8, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,245. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates in general to a puzzle apparatus that includes a number of puzzles that can each be arranged, one-at-a-time, on a platform of a housing and more specifically involves the use of sound producing means associated with the platform for producing audible sounds representative of characters shown on each of the puzzles. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   A variety of different types of puzzles are known in the prior art which serve to provide an intellectually challenging test of a user&#39;s skill in being able to arrange puzzle pieces together to form a completed picture. Applicant&#39;s application Ser. No. 10/863,108 improved the art by providing a means for producing a variety of sayings that are associated with characters shown in puzzles such as well-known cartoon characters. Once the puzzle pieces of the puzzle were properly arranged on a platform, a user could select and activate a sound producing assembly that will provide an audible saying associated with one of the characters shown on the puzzle. The puzzle pieces of different sets of puzzles, however, could become intermixed and result in unexpected combinations. There is therefore a need to have a puzzle apparatus providing a variety of sayings with multiple puzzles but not requiring multiple sets of puzzle pieces. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a puzzle apparatus having at least a first plurality of puzzle blocks that form a picture on each side of the blocks that includes a representation of at least a first audible sound producing means, first and second detectible means associated with at least one of the puzzle blocks, a platform on which the puzzle blocks can be arranged, first and second detection means associated with the platform for sensing the detectible means and a sound means for producing audible sounds that are related to the various sound producing representations that may be shown in the puzzle picture. The first detection means discerns which puzzle the user is solving and whether a block placed on the platform is in the correct position. If the block&#39;s position is incorrect, an audible or visual signal may be provided to the user. The second detection means discerns whether the block is in the correct orientation and if it is not, another audible or visual signal may be provided. 
   In a first preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing having a top surface that included the platform on which the puzzle blocks can be arranged and the sound means includes a plurality of actuators that can be engaged as desired by a user to produce a variety of audible sounds that are associated with representations of characters or other types of sound producing means that are shown on the picture produced by the puzzle blocks. Preferably, each picture formed by the puzzle blocks includes a plurality of representations of characters or other audible sound producing means and the sound means is designed to allow a user to select the playing of audible sounds that form a story or other material that is expressed in the voices of the characters depicted. 
   The apparatus is designed to include a variety of different puzzle blocks to form multiple pictures, each with different representations of characters on them. The puzzle blocks for each picture include detectible means that differ from picture-to-picture, i.e. each side of the blocks has different placement of detection means, to differentiate one picture from the other and the housing platform includes a detection means that is able to sense the detectible means on each picture and provide an output representative of the particular picture that is arranged on the platform. The housing further includes a plurality of actuators that are each associated with one of the characters shown in the picture. Thus, when one of the actuators is engaged by a user, the apparatus will provide an audible saying of the actuator&#39;s associated character shown on the particular picture then located on the platform. In a second embodiment, four first detection means corresponding to each corner of the blocks are used to detect the pattern of first detectible means on the blocks. In a third embodiment, the puzzle apparatus automatically provides an audible saying in response to incorrectly placing a block and solving the puzzle. 
   The foregoing and other advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by illustration and not of limitation a specific form in which the invention may be embodied. Such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention, but rather the invention may be employed in a variety of other embodiments and reference is made to the claims herein for interpreting the breadth of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a first preferred embodiment of the puzzle apparatus of the present invention that includes a plurality of puzzle blocks that form a picture; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a puzzle block of the first preferred embodiment; 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view similar to that of  FIG. 1 , but with the puzzle blocks removed therefrom; 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the electronic circuitry useable in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a puzzle block of the second preferred embodiment; 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view of a of a second preferred embodiment of a puzzle apparatus with the puzzle blocks removed therefrom; and 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram of the electronic circuitry useable in the embodiment of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The following description is provided with reference to the drawings beginning first with  FIG. 1  in which a first preferred embodiment of a puzzle apparatus of the present invention is shown generally at  10  and is designed to provide not only an enjoyable and challenging experience for young children, but also serves as an entertainment device for them. The apparatus  10  is designed to include a plurality of puzzles such as a puzzle  12  as shown that is formed from a plurality of puzzle blocks  14   a - i . As seen in  FIG. 2 , each block  14   a - i  of the first preferred embodiment has multiple sides  16  that form the puzzle  12 . Each block  14   a - i  is a cube with six of sides  16  such that the blocks  14   a - i  can firm six of puzzle  12 . The block  14   a  shown in  FIG. 2  is representative of all blocks of the first preferred embodiment. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the apparatus  10  includes a relatively thin rectangularly shaped housing  18  having a top surface  20  with a recessed platform portion  22  in which all of the sides  16  of the puzzle blocks  14   a - i  are to be arranged to form a distinct visual representation  24 . Except for the particular sections of the distinct visual representation  24  they each contain per side  16 , the puzzle blocks  14   a - i  are essentially the same. Each of the puzzle blocks  14   a - i  includes preferably a first detectible means  26  and a second detectible means  28 . Both detectible means  26  and  28  are magnetic strips in the preferred embodiment. The platform  22  has corresponding first detection means  30   a - i  and second detection means  32   a - i . The detection means  30   a - i  and  32   a - i  are arranged on the platform  22  to correspond to each block  12   a - l  as seen in  FIG. 3 . The detection means  30   a - i  and  32   a - i  are preferably magnetic sensors embedded in the platform  22 . The placement of detectible means  26  and  28  on the block  14   a  as they align with detection means  30   a  and  32   a  is illustrated by the dotted lines in  FIG. 1 , but the corresponding placement of detectible means and detection means is the same for all of the blocks  14   a - i  and detection means  30   a - i  and  32   a - i.    
   The first and second detection means  30   a - i  and  32   a - i  are included as part of an electronic circuit  34 , as shown in  FIG. 4  that is contained within the housing  18 . Thus, when the puzzle blocks  14   a - i  are properly arranged together on the platform portion  22 , the first and second detection means  30   a - i  and  32   a - i  detect the first and second detectible means  26  and  28  in the puzzle blocks  14   a  and  b  and provide output signals in response to such detection to a printed circuit  36  that preferably includes a central processing unit  38  (not shown). 
   Based upon the output signals sent in the manner described above, the CPU  38  is programmed to recognize that the puzzle  12  is arranged on the platform portion  22 . Similarly, each side  16  of the blocks  14   a - i  has its own puzzle  12  used with the apparatus  10 , and the first detectible means  26  on each side is different depending upon the puzzle  12 . In this way, the apparatus  10  is able to discern the particular type of puzzle that is arranged in the platform portion  22 . To ensure that the blocks  14   a - i  are properly oriented, the second detectible means  28  is placed such that it will only align with one of the detection means  32   a - i  only when properly oriented. However, it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that there are other methods that could be used for differentiating between the puzzles rather than through the use of the magnetic strips  26 . For example, each detection means could be an open circuit closed by a conduction strip 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 , and  7 , the second preferred embodiment uses four magnetic strips for the first detection means  30   a - i  to correspond to each of the blocks a-i. The pattern of first detectible means  26  on each side  16  of each block  14   a - i  determines the puzzle  12 . By locating the detectible means  26  in the corners of each side  16  and using the second detectible means  28  to determine orientation as in the first embodiment, there is no chance that the puzzle  12  can be solved without correctly arranging the blocks  14   a - i  to form the distinct visual representation  24 . 
   Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the distinct visual representation  24  includes a representation of four audible sound producing means in the form of the cartoon characters, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. Directly beneath the platform portion  22  are six longitudinally aligned actuator buttons  40   a - f  serving as a plurality of actuators that are preferably pressure or touch sensitive and contain a depiction of the head of a cartoon character, with the buttons  40   b - e  having the heads of the cartoon characters shown in the distinct visual representation  24 . 
   The electronic circuit  34  is preferably powered by battery power supply  42  as shown in  FIG. 5  and is designed so that when one of the actuator buttons  40   b - e  is pressed by a user, a voice chip  44  (not shown) in the printed circuit  36  will produce electronic signals representative of a saying by the cartoon character depicted on the button pressed, which signals are provided to a speaker  48  that audibly reproduces such signals. Preferably, the saying that is rendered will be related to the activity of the characters that is shown in the distinct visual representation  24  and may well consist of a story. Thus, pressing of the actuator buttons  40   b - e  one-at-a-time produces a saying by each one of the cartoon characters shown in the distinct visual representation  24 . Alternatively, rather than having the characters depicted on the buttons  40   a - f  provide a narration, the housing  18  includes a triangular shaped master actuator button  50  that, when pushed provides a complete narration of the material that would otherwise be rendered. In a third embodiment, the saying is automatically produced upon completion of the puzzle  12  or if one of the blocks  14   a - i  is improperly placed on the platform  22 , an audible or visual signal is provided to the user. Such visual signal can be in a variety of form but in this third embodiment it is simply a light  52  as indicated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
   Because the cartoon characters depicted on the buttons  40   a  and  f  are not included in the distinct visual representation  24 , preferably such characters will not have a saying associated with them for the distinct visual representation  24 . However, it is envisioned that other puzzles to be used with the apparatus  10  will include a different selection of the cartoon characters depicted on the actuator buttons  40   a - f , and will show the cartoon characters involved in different activities so that the voice chip  44  will produce different sayings from those produced for the puzzle  12 . Furthermore, the use of cartoon characters is not critical to the present invention as any audible sound producing means may be depicted on the puzzle  12  such as animals or musical instruments, etc. Additionally, the apparatus  10  can be adapted to include other sets of characters and associated puzzles simply through the use of covers that can be placed on the actuator buttons  40   a - f . Such covers would include the depiction of the puzzle characters rather than the buttons  40   a - f . Also the CPU  38  would have to be programmed to recognize two or more different sets of puzzles with different characters or the apparatus could employ replaceable cartridges that would be used for the various puzzle sets. 
   Thus, the present invention provides a novel and unique means for supplying a user with the challenge of having to properly put a puzzle together and then supplies an entertaining version of a description of the activity involved on a distinct visual representation contained on a puzzle. Although the puzzle apparatus of the present invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that such embodiment may be altered without avoiding the true spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, a wide variety of electronic circuitry can be substituted for the circuitry  34  and the puzzles employed with the apparatus  10  may contain a large plurality of different types of characters, musical instruments, machines or other types of audible sound producing means.