Patent ID: 8574020

Claim:
A system for operating an interactive figure at a user location in response to a media program comprising: a sound processor at the user location coupled to receive and convert a sound input from a media program source; said sound processor comprising a function generator and a recognition module, said function generator being coupled to receive the sound input and to convert each sound input into a respective sound pattern, each sound pattern being representative of an audio unit; the recognition module being coupled to access a reference library of stored sound patterns in the reference library, and having an output comprising a code corresponding to a stored sound pattern in the reference library which matches the respective sound pattern; a command library coupled to be addressed by the code, said command library providing a command in correspondence with the code for initiating an action in the interactive figure and being coupled for transmission to the interactive figure; and a control circuit located in said interactive figure for receiving commands and commanding action in correspondence with a current command, whereby an action is initiated in correspondence with occurrence of a corresponding audio unit or units in a sound pattern; wherein said audio units are each selected to comprise a phoneme, word, concatenation, or other defined pattern; the system further comprising the interactive figure and wherein said control circuit is located in the interactive figure, the interactive figure further comprising a plurality of operable features, each operable feature being selectively operated in response to a control signal produced in response to the current command; wherein said operable features comprise components corresponding to body parts of an interactive figure, and further comprising a motor and linkages and wherein the control signal operates to connect motive power to at least a selected linkage in correspondence with the current command; and further wherein said reference library of stored sound patterns is located in the interactive figure and wherein said interactive figure comprises a transceiver for receiving signals from a media program source.