U.S. patent application number 10/441890 was filed with the patent office on 2005-07-07 for digitally synchronized animated talking doll.
Invention is credited to Maa, Shalong.
Application Number | 20050148279 10/441890 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34711927 |
Filed Date | 2005-07-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050148279 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Maa, Shalong |
July 7, 2005 |
Digitally synchronized animated talking doll
Abstract
Disclosed herein is animated talking toy figure feasible for
digital actuation control and synchronization. Novel methods and
apparatus are provided for control of and for coordinating the toy
figure's sound and animation. Said toy figure has at least one
articulated movable portion for providing animation effect, with
the actuation thereof being provided by a two-phase actuation
device, such as a solenoid, disposed therein. The toy figure's
actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means, and is
adapted to be digitally controlled by a computing device. A
computer-implemented method for controlling and synchronizing the
toy figure's sound and animation includes, (i) creating
actuation-control signal based on detailed textual content of the
toy figure's audio speech, and (ii) synchronously transmitting to
the toy figure the actuation-control signal, for control of said
actuation-control circuitry, and a sound signal for playback
through the toy figure's audio output device.
Inventors: |
Maa, Shalong; (Dallas,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MAA, SHALONG
P.O. BOX 600118
DALLAS
TX
75360-0118
US
|
Family ID: |
34711927 |
Appl. No.: |
10/441890 |
Filed: |
May 20, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10441890 |
May 20, 2003 |
|
|
|
08833342 |
Apr 4, 1997 |
|
|
|
6572431 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/297 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 2200/00 20130101;
A63H 3/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/297 |
International
Class: |
A63H 003/28 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A physical toy figure adapted to be controlled by a digital
actuation-control signal and a sound signal representing a selected
audio sound, said actuation-control signal being separate from said
sound signal, said toy figure comprising: a body including at least
one movable portion, said movable portion having an open and a
default closed states; audio output means for reproducing said
selected audio sound in response to the toy figure receiving said
sound signal; an electromagnetic actuation device situated within
said body for actuating said movable portion, said actuation device
having a first and a second phases; and an actuation-control
circuitry for controlling said actuation device in response to
receiving said actuation-control signal; said sound signal being
transmitted to said audio output means in synchronization with
transmission of said actuation-control signal to said
actuation-control circuitry.
2. The toy figure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and
second phases of said actuation device are associated with said
open and closed states of said movable portion respectively, and
wherein said actuation-control signal contains a signal sequence
comprising a sequence of a first and a second logic signals for
representing a first and a second predefined binary values
respectively, said first and second logic signals being associated
with said open and closed states of said movable portion
respectively.
3. The toy figure as set forth in claim 2, wherein said
actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means having a
logic input, whereby said actuation-control circuitry causes said
actuation device to be in said first phase for actuating said
movable portion in response to said logic input receiving said
first logic signal and causes said actuation device to be in said
second phase for returning said movable portion to said default
closed state in response to said logic input of the logic switch
means receiving said second logic signal.
4. The toy figure of claim 1, further comprising a second movable
portion and a second electromagnetic actuation device situated
within said body for actuating said second movable portion, the two
actuation devices being independently controlled by said
actuation-control circuitry in response to receiving said
actuation-control signal so as to cause independent movements of
the two movable portions of the toy figure.
5. The toy figure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said actuation
device is a solenoid.
6. The toy figure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and
second phases of said actuation device are associated with said
open and closed states of said movable portion respectively, and
wherein said actuation-control signal contains a
logic-switch-control signal comprising a sequence of a first and a
second logic signals for representing a first and a second
predefined binary values respectively, said first and second logic
signals being associated with said open and closed states of said
movable portion respectively.
7. A toy figure comprising: a body for simulating an appearance of
a living being; at least one movable body part for simulating an
animation effect of the living being; and a two-phase actuation
device situated within said body for actuating said movable body
part; said actuation device including a coil and a magnetic
plunger.
8. The toy figure of claim 7, further comprising an
actuation-control circuitry for selectively connecting electric
power to said coil in response to receiving an digital
actuation-control signal so as to control the actuation of said
two-phase actuation device and hence said toy figure's movable body
part.
9. The toy figure of claim 8, further comprising audio output means
for playing back a selected audio sound in response to the toy
figure receiving a sound signal, said sound signal being separate
from said actuation-control signal.
10. The toy figure as set forth in claim 8, wherein said two-phase
actuation device has an energized and a de-energized states,
wherein said actuation-control signal contains a signal sequence
comprising a sequence of a first and a second logic signals for
representing a first and a second predefined binary values
respectively, said first and second logic signals being directly
associated with said energized and de-energized states
respectively.
11. The toy figure as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
actuation-control circuitry is situated within said toy figure's
body.
12. The toy figure as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
actuation-control circuitry is situated outside said toy figure's
body.
13. The toy figure as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means, and
whereby control of actuation of said two-phase actuation device and
hence said toy figure's movable body part is provided by said logic
switch means selectively switching electric power to said coil of
the two-phase actuation device in response to said
actuation-control circuitry receiving said actuation-control
signal.
14. The toy figure as set forth in claim 8, wherein said two-phase
actuation device includes an energized and a de-energized states,
wherein said actuation-control signal contains a
logic-switch-control signal comprising a sequence of a first and a
second logic signals for representing a first and a second
predefined binary values respectively, said first and second logic
signals being associated with, respectively, said energized and
de-energized states of said two-phase actuation device, and wherein
said actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means having
a logic input, whereby said logic switch means controls the
actuation of said two-phase actuation device according to said
logic-switch-control signal received at said logic input.
15. The toy figure as set forth in claim 14, wherein said
actuation-control circuitry causes said two-phase actuation device
to be in said energized state, so as to actuate said movable body
part of the toy figure, in response to said logic input receiving
said first logic signal, and causes said two-phase actuation device
to be in said de-energized state, so as to return said movable body
part of the toy figure to a default position, in response to said
logic input receiving said second logic signal.
16. The toy figure as set forth in claim 9, wherein said audio
output means is situated inside said body.
17. The toy figure as set forth in claim 9, wherein said audio
output means is situated outside said body.
18. The toy figure as set forth in claim 7, wherein said two-phase
actuation device is a solenoid.
19. A device adapted to control and synchronize the sound and
animation of an animated talking toy figure, said toy figure
comprising a body having at least one movable body part, audio
output means, and an actuation system, said device comprising: an
actuation-control component for transmitting an actuation-control
signal to said toy figure; and a audio component for transmitting a
sound signal representing a selected audio sound to said audio
output means for playback; said actuation-control signal being
separate from said sound signal and associated with said selected
audio sound, and being transmitted to said actuation system of the
toy figure for control of said toy figure's movable body part in
synchronization with the transmission of said sound signal to said
audio output means of the toy figure.
20. The device as set forth in claim 19, wherein text content of
said toy figure's selected audio sound is predetermined, and
wherein said actuation-control signal contains a sequence of
logic-switch-control signal that are related to the arrangement of
vowel letters in said text content of the toy figure's selected
audio sound.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of application
Ser. No. 08/833,342 filed Apr. 04, 1997.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention pertains generally to animated talking
toy figure, and in particular, to digitally-controlled animated
talking doll of the type that the actuation of the doll's movable
body portion, such as its mouth, is digitally synchronized with its
own sound and/or with the sound/visual effects of a multimedia
entertainment system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is well known in the art to employ advanced electronic
devices for control of and for coordinating the sound and animation
of a physical toy figure. However, the entertainment and
educational values of the prior art is largely restricted by the
lack of digital actuation control and digital synchronization
means. As a result thereof, the sound and animation of the prior
art animated talking dolls can not be digitally synchronized with
the sound and/or visual effects of a multimedia entertainment
system. These drawbacks are caused in part by the employment in the
prior art of rotary-type actuation devices, such as DC or servo
motors, that are not feasible for digital control and require
rather complex gearing means for coupling with the articulated body
parts of the doll. Thus, it would be desirable to provide apparatus
and methods for digitally synchronizing the sound and animation of
an animated talking toy figure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] To remedy the foregoing and other drawbacks of the prior
art, there is provided a novel arrangement of animated talking toy
figure, which is adapted to be controlled or synchronized by
digital actuation-control signals. According to one aspect of the
present invention, a digital animated talking toy figure includes a
physical doll having at least one articulated movable body part for
providing animation effect therefore; Disposed therein is a
sounding device, such as a sound speaker, and a two-phase actuation
means for actuating the articulated body part of the toy figure.
Said actuation means comprises a two-phase or multi-phase
electromechanical device, such as a solenoid, and an
actuation-control circuitry for controlling said electromechanical
device according to a digital actuation-control signal received.
Said digital actuation-control signal is separated from and is
transmitted to the toy figure in synchronization with the sound
signal transmitted to said sounding device. It is preferred that,
said sound signal and said digital actuation-control signal be
provided by and transmitted from a conventional multimedia
computer.
[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
in order to synchronize the animation of a toy figure with its
audio output, the computer system employed therefore and/or
connected thereto is provided with synchronization system to create
or provide digital actuation control signals for transmitting to
the actuation-control circuitry of the toy figure in
synchronization with the transmission of the sound signals to the
doll's sounding device. The digital actuation-control signal may be
created according to the arrangement of vowel letters in the
textual content of the toy figure's speech synthesized by said
computer.
[0006] The foregoing is intended to be merely a summary and not to
limit the scope of the specification. The features of the present
invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with
particularity in the annexed claims. The invention, however,
together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be
appreciated by reference to the following detailed description
taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary interactive home
entertainment system for implementing the synchronization methods
of the present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an
exemplary multimedia computing system for implementing the
sound-animation and multimedia synchronization methods of the
present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a cross-section view
of the interior arrangement of the toy figure of the present
invention, which is adapted to be connected to the computing system
of FIGS. 1-2.
[0010] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the transmission of a media
data stream through the Internet in synchronization with the
transmission of a TV broadcasting signal stream according to the
multimedia digital synchronization methods of the present
inventions.
[0011] FIGS. 5-6 are schematic functional block diagrams
illustrating the interior arrangements of the toy figure of FIG. 3,
wherein two exemplary arrangements of sound-animation control
circuitries are depicted respectively.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram depicting the
actuation-control circuitry of FIGS. 5-6.
[0013] FIGS. 8-10 are illustrations of three exemplary
computer-implemented methods, in accordance with the present
invention, for creating or sequencing binary logic-switch-control
(or synchronization) signals based on the textual content of the
toy figure's audio speech so as to provide digital actuation
control for the toy figure of FIG. 3.
[0014] FIGS. 11-12 illustrates the methods of using the remote
control and the computer of FIG. 1 to control an electronic
appliance according to another aspect of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-12, there are shown new and improved
digitally synchronized animated talking toy figure and interactive
home entertainment systems and synchronization methods embodying
the concepts of the present inventions. While the present
inventions are susceptible to embodiments in various forms, there
are in the drawings and will hereinafter be described presently
preferred embodiments, with the understanding that the present
disclosure is to be considered as exemplifications of the
inventions, and does not limit the invention to the specific
embodiments illustrated. In some instances, for purposes of
explanation and not for limitation, specific numbers, diagrams,
dimensions or materials, etc. may be set forth in order to provide
a thorough understanding of the inventions. In other instances,
detailed descriptions of well-known mechanical elements, electronic
circuitry, or computer or electronic network components are omitted
so as to not obscure the depiction of the present invention with
unnecessary details. In case when alternate arrangements of a
device or component are described or displayed, like parts or
components may be assigned with the same numerical reference
numbers.
[0016] With reference to FIG. 1, a home entertainment system
includes a physical toy figure 1, a large-screen display such as a
television set 900, a conventional multimedia personal computer 30,
and a hand-held remote control device 710 for control of all other
elements of the entertainment system. In addition, said home
entertainment system may also include other entertainment or
electronic devices, such as a sound system 706 and a DVD player
702, etc. The computer 30 is connected to a web site 300 via the
Internet 800. A TV broadcast center 208 provides the conventional
TV programs or streaming video signal 270 to the TV set 900 and/or
to the computer 30. The streaming video signal 270 may also be
transmitted from the web site 300 to the computer 30 through the
Internet 800. The toy control data 260 for controlling the sound
and animation of the toy figure 1 may be transmitted from the web
site 300 to the computer 30 via the Internet or be created by the
computer 30. According to one aspect of the present invention, the
sound and animation of the toy figure 1 are digitally controlled
and are synchronized with the audio/video effects or the contents
of an associated TV program or streaming video transmitted from the
TV station 208 to the TV set 900. As a result thereof, the toy
figure 1 controlled by the computer 30 can be part of a live TV
show or TV program displayed on the TV set 900 and talk to or
communicate with an actor or character in said TV show.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the Web site 300 and the TV broadcasting
system 208 are provided with synchronization systems 202 and 210
respectively. In order for the Web site 300 to send Web content or
data stream 260 to the client computer 30 in synchronization with
the transmission of TV program signals 270 from the TV station 208
to the home TV 900, there is provided synchronization signals 214
for transmitting between the two synchronization systems 202 and
210. The synchronization signals 214 may be wireless signals or
transmitted via physical wiring connections. The synchronization
signals 214 may be transmitted, preferably, from the system 210 to
the system 202, or vice versa, or it could be two way signals
exchange between the two synchronization systems 210 and 202. As a
result of such synchronization control, the toy FIG. 1 controlled
by the computer 30 can be part of a TV show or TV program displayed
on the TV set 900 and talk to or communicate with an actor or
character therein.
[0018] One synchronization method, according to the present
invention, is to divide the streaming TV video signals 270 into a
stream of small segments based on the desired Web content or data
stream to be received by the client user computer 30 while
broadcasting said TV program 270, which could be done at the
production stage of said TV program. The TV video segmentation
information may be stored in conjunction with and on the same
storage media as the TV program itself. The function of the TV
station synchronization system 210 is to retrieve said TV video
segmentation information and, in accordance therewith, send
synchronization signals 214 to the synchronization system 202 of
the Web site 300. The function of the Web site synchronization
system 202 is to receive said synchronization signals 214, and, in
accordance therewith, instruct the Web site 300 to send the desired
data or media stream or content to the client computer 30. The Web
site may employ the so-called "PUSH" technology or other commonly
used technologies to sent the desired content or data to the client
30.
[0019] The synchronization process described above may be used to
only synchronize the starting moment of a data stream 260
transmitted from the Web site 300 to the computer 30 with the
starting of a TV program signals stream 270 transmitted from the TV
station 208. However, it is preferred that the synchronization is
conducted throughout the flow of said two data/signal streams. As
shown in FIG. 4, the TV signal stream 270 is divided into a
sequence of signal segments 270A, 270B, 270C . . . , which are
generally represented by the reference number 270I; In association
and in accordance therewith, the data stream 260 transmitted from
the Web server 300 to the client 30 is divided into a stream of
digital segments 260A, 260B, 260C . . . , which are generally
represented by the reference number 260I. Each segment 270I of the
TV signal stream 270 is sequentially associated with a specific
segment 260I of the Web content data stream 260 so as to coordinate
the transmission of the data stream segment 260I from the Web site
300 to the client computer 30 in synchronization with the
broadcasting of the respective TV program segment 270I from the TV
station 208. To facilitate such an synchronization, a
synchronization signal 214I is provided for each segment pair
260I-270I of the two data-signal streams 260 and 270. For examples,
as shown in FIG. 11, the segment pairs 260A-270A, 260B-270B, and
260C-270C are provided with synchronization signals 214A, 214B, and
214C respectively, etc.
[0020] The synchronization signals 214I are to be transmitted
between the two synchronization systems 202 and 210 of FIG. 1.
During a one-way synchronization process, the synchronization
signals 214I are to be transmitted from the synchronization system
210 of the TV station 208 to the synchronization system 202 of the
Web site 300. When the synchronization system 202 receives the
signal 214I, it will instruct the Web site 300 to send the
associated Web content or data stream segment 260I to the client
computer 30. In this way, the Web site 300 can control the timing
of sending a specific content or data to a client computer 30 in
response to receiving a synchronization signal 214I from said TV
station. Similarly, the synchronization system may also be designed
to allow the TV broadcast unit 208 to control the timing of
broadcasting a specific segment 270I of the TV program 270
according to the synchronization system 210's receiving of a signal
214I from said Web site 300.
[0021] One skilled in the art would understand that, the
above-described synchronization method could be used to synchronize
the transmission of any type of video contents or data stream, and
that, other type of synchronization methods or systems may also be
employed. For examples, (1) the data stream or Web contents 260 of
FIG. 11 may be a sequence of toy control data for controlling the
talking and animation of the toy figure 1 of FIG. 1 through the
computer 30 or through other computing devices; (2) The Web content
data stream 260 may also be comprised of just a few Web pages (thus
the data stream 260 may not be a continuous data stream) that are
associated with the TV program 270's specific section, such as an
advertisement section therein; (3) the toy figure 1 may be
controlled by other type of digital devices, and the synchronized
sound and actuation-control signals for control of the toy figure
may be provided by two separate sources. [Note that, the
synchronization system and the digital toy-control system described
herein are disclosed, in part, in the patent application Ser. No.
10/040,924 filed Dec. 29, 2001]
[0022] In FIG. 1, the physical toy figure 1 is adapted to be
connected to a multimedia computer 30. The "body" of the toy figure
1 may be a doll or the like, as depicted in the drawing as
exemplifications, and it may represent a physical puppet animal or
human or other type of living being or the like or a selected body
portion thereof, or it may be in form of any other type of commonly
known three dimensional physical entertainment figure or puppet.
The "body" of the toy FIG. 1 may be made of any type of feasible
materials known to those in the field. The toy figure 1's body has
at least one movable portion for providing animation effect. It is
preferred that said movable portion of the toy figure 1 be its
mouth or the like for simulating the voicing, talking or sounding
of a living being, although other body portion of the toy figure 1
may also be animated simultaneously.
[0023] The multimedia computer system 30 may be of any type of
market-available conventional multimedia home computer.
Alternatively, the computer system 30 may also be of any other type
of digital computing devices with Internet or networking
capability, such as an Internet-/Web-TV or the like, an electronic
video game console or the like, a TV set-top box or the like, or
other computing system configurations. The transmitting means for
connecting the toy FIG. 1 to the computer may be a connection cable
or the like, or it may be, preferably, wireless or remote
transmitting devices installed in both the computer 30 and the toy
figure 1's body.
[0024] One skilled in the art would understand that, the "body" of
the toy figure 1 may take any of the usual form and construction of
a physical entertainment figure, and may include element(s) for
representing or simulating any body part(s) of a living being or
the like. In the examples of FIGS. 1-3, the toy figure 1's "body"
is characterized by a torso portion 3 and a head member 2 mounted
thereon; The toy figure 1' body shown in the drawings also includes
a pair of legs for supporting said torso portion 3; Attached to the
two sides of the torso portion 3 are a pair of arms 4; The head
member 2 includes a mouth portion 12 and a pair of eyes 20; The
entire toy figure 1's body may be mounted onto and being removable
from a base member 54.
[0025] It is appreciated that the animation effect of the toy
figure 1 is provided, preferably, by movement of its mouth portion
12 for simulating sounding or talking behavior or the like of a
living being. The toy figure 1 may be configured for digital
control of movement of its other body portions, such as the two
arms 4, the two eyes 20, or the entire head member 2, etc. In one
example, the arm 4 may move relative to the torso portion 3, and/or
may bend at a pivotal juncture between its upper arm and forearm
26. More than one body part of the toy figure 1 may be set to move
at the same time.
[0026] In FIG. 2 is illustrated the toy figure 1's interior
structure in which includes an "audio output means" 44, such as a
loudspeaker or the like, mounted at an appropriate position inside
the toy's body, for providing audio output, an "actuation device"
40 disposed at an appropriate position inside the toy figure's body
for providing actuation means for the movable part of the mouth 12,
an "actuation-control circuitry" 36 for controlling the actuation
device 40 according to an "actuation-control signals" received from
the computer 30, and a "power supply means" 52 for providing
electric power for the actuation-control circuitry 36 and the
actuation device 40. The combination of the actuation device(s) 40,
the actuation-control circuitry 36, and the power supply means 52
may be regarded collectively as the "actuation system" of the toy
figure 1. The interior of the toy figure 1 may also include an
"audio input means" 46, such as a microphone, for receiving and
transmitting external sound received by the toy figure 1 to the
computer 30. It is understood that, said audio input means 46
and/or audio output means 44 may be, preferably, mounted inside the
body of the toy figure 1 (FIG. 6); and that, alternatively, the
member(s) 44 and/or 46 may be placed at an appropriate position
outside the toy figure 1's body (FIG. 5). Also alternatively, the
entire actuation-control circuitry 36 may be placed at an
appropriate position outside toy figure 1's body, as shown in FIG.
5, and connected to the toy figure 1 via a suitable connection
means.
[0027] Should it be desired that other body part of the toy figure
1 be movable for providing animation effect, more actuation devices
shall be provided therefore, and the actuation-control circuitry 36
shall be modified accordingly. In the example of FIG. 3, additional
actuation devices 38 and 42 are provided for moving, respectively,
an eye 20 and an arm 4 of the toy figure 1. It is preferred that
these actuation devices (e.g., 40, 38, and 42) are two-state or
multi-state actuation devices, such as solenoids.
[0028] It is appreciated that the actuation devices 38, 40, and 42
and the actuation-control circuitry 36 of the toy figure 1 are
feasible for digital control and multimedia synchronization. It is
preferred that the actuation devices 38, 40, and 42 are of
two-phase or multi-phase type electromagnetic actuation device such
as a solenoid. One skilled in the art would understand that, there
exists various type of commonly used solenoid that can be employed
in the present invention, such, for examples, as DC (or AC) type
solenoid or the like, rotary type solenoid or the like, and push or
pull type solenoid or the like, etc.; and that, multi-coil type
solenoid may also be used. Different type of solenoid may be used
for simplifying the mechanical structure of the toy figure 1's
interior. For examples, it is preferred that, (i) a pull-type or a
push-type solenoid 40 may be employed for actuating the toy figure
1's arm 4 and mouth 12; and that (ii) it may be more convenient to
use a rotary solenoid to control the actuation of the moveable
portions of the toy FIG. 1's eye 20; etc. Other types of rotary
driving devices that are feasible for digital control may also be
used for implementing the digital synchronization methods of the
present invention, such, for example, as stepper motors, which may
require more complex gearing-control systems and/or actuation
control circuitry compared with the examples described herein.
[0029] Reference is now made to FIGS. 5-7, wherein all the
solenoids (e.g., the solenoids 38, 40, 42, etc.) of FIG. 3 for
actuating the toy figure 1's various body parts are designated
generally with the reference number 56; the "movable body part" of
the toy figure 1 is designated generally with the reference number
1X; the "body-part attachment means" for attaching said toy figure
1's movable body part 1X to its nearby stationary body portion is
designated generally with the reference number 1Z; said "nearby
stationary portion" is designated generally with the reference
number 1Y. The solenoid 56 includes coil winding(s) 66 and a
magnetic plunger 68. The "plunger coupling means" for coupling the
movable body part 1X of the toy figure 1 to the plunger 68 is
designated generally with reference number 69; and the
"actuation-control circuitry" for providing actuation control for
the solenoid 56 is designated generally with reference number 36
(see also FIG. 3). It is understood the term "magnetic plunger" 68,
as used herein, represents generally a solenoid's movable magnetic
element or the like and any of its extension or shaft or the like;
For examples: (i) in case of FIG. 3, the term "magnetic plunger" 68
represents a plunger element in the solenoid and its upper
extension or shaft; (ii) in case of a rotary solenoid, term
"magnetic plunger" 68 represents the magnetic armature thereof or
the like, including its extension shaft or the like. According to
the present invention, the operation principle of the
"actuation-control circuitry" 36 shall be understood as a "logic
switch": the circuitry 36 includes a "logic switch" circuitry 82
that is to be controlled by a digital "logic-switch-control signal"
83. The signal 83 may be transmitted, preferably, from the computer
30 or, alternatively, from other type of digital devices, or from a
remote computer via the Internet. The logic switch 82 includes a
logic input point (or lead or the like) 82X for receiving digital
or logic control signals. The function of the logic switch 82 is to
control electric power supply for the solenoid coil(s) 66 according
and in response to the digital logic-switch-control signal 83
received at its logic input 82X. For examples, the logic switch 82
may connect the solenoid coil 66 to the electric power source 52
with little or no resistance in response to receiving a binary or
logic signal (e.g. the "1") at its logic input 82X, and disconnect
the coil 66 from the electric power source 52 or act as a very
large resistance there-between in response to receiving the other
binary logic signal (i.e., the "0") at its logic input point
82X.
[0030] The operation principle of the actuation-control circuitry
36 or the logic switch 82 may also be understood as that, it
provides two different types of basic electronic or electrical
functions (i.e. "switching") with respect to transmitting electric
power or current from the power source 52 to the coil(s) 66 of the
solenoid 56 in response and according to receiving the two
different digital binary signals respectively. One skilled in the
art would understand that, (i) many methods and electronic
circuitries might be used for implementing such two-phase
"switching" functionality; For example, the actuation-control
circuitry 36 may, alternatively, include means or electronic
elements for changing direction of electric current passing through
the coil 66 in response to receiving the two different binary
digital signals (i.e., "1" and "0"); and that, (ii) the logic
switch 82 may be a complex circuitry, or it may be comprised of
just a single electronic device; For examples, the logic switch 82
may be a Field-Effect Transistor (FET) or the like or an Analog
Transmission Gate or the like, or it may be of other type of
digital transmission-control devices known to those in the art.
[0031] It is appreciated that, since all solenoid has two states,
i.e., energized and de-energized states, the actuation of the
solenoid 56 can be directly associated with and controlled by the
two binary codes (or signals) "1" and "0" of the digital
"logic-switch-control signal" 83. Referring now to FIG. 7, the
actuation-control signal 83X shown is the external signal received
by the toy figure 1, which may be transmitted from the computer 30
or from a remote source; The "logic-switch-control signal" 83 shown
is the desired logic or binary signal directly associated with the
aforementioned two states of the solenoid 56 and the two states of
the toy figure 1's movable body part (e.g., "open" and "close" of
the mouth 12). The "logic-switch-control signal" 83 is to be
received at the logic input point 82X of the logic switch 82. Those
skilled in the art would understand that the external
"actuation-control signal" 83X received by the toy figure 1 might
not be the same as said "logic-switch-control signal" 83. For
examples, the signals 83X might be in different data format, or
transmitted to the toy figure 1 via a network through a standard
data-transfer protocol or the like; or the signals 83X might be
wireless signals, etc. Thus, a signal receiving and data format
transfer system 82R might need to be included in the
actuation-control circuitry 36, as shown in FIG. 7.
[0032] One skilled in the art would also understand that other
well-known electronic elements or devices or system can be added to
the actuation-control circuitry 36 to provide the actuation system
with more sophisticated and elaborate features. For examples,
devices such as capacitor, Zener, and diode may be included in the
circuitry 36 to improve the response speed of the solenoid 56
and/or to suppress arcing from the coil 66; if necessary,
appropriate digital devices may be included in the circuitry 36 to
transfer the external digital signal 83X received by the toy FIG. 1
to the desired "logic-switch-control" signals 83 for controlling
the logic switch 82; and, the actuation-control circuitry 36 may
also be designed for controlling more than one solenoids, or for
controlling a solenoid having more than one coils; etc. It is well
known that a solenoid may have more than one coils, and that a
solenoid coil may have one or more lead at an appropriate
intermediate position along the wiring coil, etc. Such alternative
solenoid coil configurations are shown in FIG. 5. As shown therein,
the solenoid 56's coil 66 includes three leads: 66A, 66B, and 66G,
which may be understood as that, (i) the coil 66 comprises two
coils, i.e., coil 66A-66G and coil 66B-66G; or that (ii) the coil
66 includes a lead 66B at an intermediate position along the coil
wiring 66A-66G. Accordingly, the circuitry 36 may be adapted for
controlling which coil or which portion of the solenoid wiring 66
shall be provided with electric current according to the desired
movement range of magnetic plunger 68. For example, the logic
switch system 82 of the circuitry 36 may include two separate logic
switch devices or circuitries for controlling the current flows
along the connections 66A-66G and 66B-66G respectively.
[0033] It is appreciated that, because of the two-phase or
two-state nature of a solenoid (i.e., "energized" and
"de-energized") and the two-phase or two-state nature of the toy
figure 1's movable body part 1X (e.g., "open" and "close"; OR, "up"
and "down"; OR "left" and "right", etc.), there is a direct
correspondence among the binary codes "1"/"0", the two states of
the plunger member 68 of the solenoid 56, and the two states of the
toy figure 1's movable body part 1X. Thus, the coupling means 69
does not require any type of complex rotary gearing system, and
each independent movable part of the toy figure 1 may be provided
with one solenoid. In regarding the body-part attachment means 1Z,
it is preferred that the movable body part 1X of toy figure 1 be
pivotally attached to or engaged with its nearby stationary portion
1Y, having a return spring attached thereto for urging said movable
body part 1X to its default or neutral position while the
respective actuation device 56 being de-energized.
[0034] It is appreciated that, the present invention provides
various ways of using the computer 30 to synchronize the animation
of the toy figure 1 with its audio output. Such synchronization is
realized by transmitting to the toy figure 1, concurrently and
separately, an audio playback sound signals 44W (FIGS. 5-6) and a
properly timed sequence of actuation-control signal 83X in a
coordinated manner; the total time of the control signal sequence
83 and the timing unit of each of its element are properly
determined based on the desired audio output speed of the toy FIG.
1. It is appreciated that, because the actuation-control signals
83X is separate from the sound signal 44W, the synchronization
methods of the present invention may be employed to provide
realistic sound-animation synchronization for the toy figure 1 even
if its sound does not include human speech, such as a musical type
sound without lyric or noise or a background sound, etc., or even
if the movable body part 1X of the toy figure 1 is not its mouth
portion 12.
[0035] The "logic-switch-control" signal sequence 83 is comprised
of a sequence of "binary elements", which may be created according
to the detailed text content and the timing control of the toy
figure 1's audio playback, and it may be converted to a pre-defined
data/signal format for transmission (e.g., the signal 83X described
above). For examples, (i) the signal sequence 83 may be created in
such a way that each of its element and the timing thereof is
directly associated with the arrangement of vowel letters in the
text of the toy's speech or the like; the computer 30 may create or
provide logic-switch-control signals 83 for use to direct the toy
figure 1 to open its mouth once on every or every other utterance
of a vowel letter in the text of the toy figure 1's current speech;
(ii) the animation of the toy's other body part may be controlled
based on the appearance of certain predefined words or phrases in
said speech; etc.
[0036] The general rules for creating the logic-switch-control
signal 83, according to the present invention, may be summarized as
follows: (i) the number of parallel data/signal sequences (or
number of rows) of the "logic-switch-control" signal 83 for direct
control of the respective actuation devices or solenoids of the toy
figure 1 shall be made equal to the number of solenoids within the
toy figure 1, if every solenoid so employed includes only one coil;
For examples, if only the mouth 12 of the toy figure 1 needs to be
animated, and the solenoid 40 (FIG. 3) is a single-coil solenoid,
the signal sequence 83 will have one row of data stream for
controlling the solenoid 40 only; and, if the animations of the
mouth 12 and the eye 20 are both desired, then two one-coil
solenoids 40 and 38 are needed, and hence, the logic-switch-control
signal sequence 83 will comprises two parallel rows of data/signal
sequences, etc.; (ii) The length or total number of "binary
element" in each row of a continuous logic-switch-control signal
sequence 83 is determined based on the total number of characters,
symbols, and null spaces in the textual content or text of a
continuous audio speech of the toy figure 1; (iii) Each one of said
"binary element" within the signal sequence 83 is assigned, for
example, with either "1" or "0", which is dependent on the
respective character or letter in said textual content or text of
the toy figure's audio speech or the like, and which is based on a
pre-defined rule relating to the arrangement of the characters or
vowel letters or alphabets in the text or textual content of the
toy figure 1's speech; (iv) The timing unit of each said "binary
element" is obtained by dividing the total time of said continuous
audio speech of the toy figure 1 by the total number of binary
elements of each row of said logic-switch-control signal sequence
83. Alternatively, the binary value of each said binary element in
the logic-switch-control signal sequence 83 may also be determined
according to the relative loudness of the sounding of a word in the
toy figure 1's audio speech, or according to other characters of
the toy FIG. 1 audio effects.
[0037] It is appreciated that, the binary elements "1" and "0" in
the logic-switch-control signal 83 are directly associated,
respectively, with the "energized" and "de-energized" states of the
solenoid 56, and with the "open" and "closed" conditions or the
like of the toy figure 1's mouth 12 or its other movable body part
1X. For examples, the code "1" represents the action of energizing
the respective solenoid 56 for moving the respective movable body
part 1X of the toy figure 1 by sending the signal or data "1" to
the logic input 82X of the logic switch 82; and the code "0"
represents de-energizing the respective solenoid 56 for returning
the respective movable body part 1X of the toy figure 1 to its
default or neutral position by sending the signal or data "0" to
the logic input 82X of the logic switch 82. Because the solenoid 56
has a finite response time, the rules for creating the
logic-switch-control signals 83 may also be dependent on the speed
of playback of the toy figure 1's audio speech. According to
another aspect of the present invention, certain of the toy's body
parts, such as the arm 4, the entire head member 2, etc., may be
set to move randomly or based on whether the current word or phrase
of the toy figure 1's audio speech belongs to a predefined
vocabulary groups. The principle of creating or sequencing the
"binary elements" of the logic-switch-control signal 83 is
exemplified by, but not limited to, the three examples shown in
FIGS. 8-10, wherein the text 441 of toy figure 1's sample speech
44W is "hello(o), [w]here is the internet?"; and there are 29
letters/binary elements in each of the three examples.
[0038] In the example of FIG. 8, it is assumed that only the mouth
12 of the toy figure 1 of FIG. 3 is set to move, the solenoid 40 is
a single-coil solenoid, and the speed of the audio speech is slow.
Accordingly, the logic-switch-control data 83I and the signal
sequence 831I are one-dimensional with 29 "binary elements" for
controlling the one-coil solenoid 40. The binary code/signal
sequence 83I/831I is created by, (i) assigning the code "1" to each
said binary element that is associated with a vowel letter in the
text 44I; otherwise, (ii) assigning the code "0" to each said
binary element that is associated with a non-vowel letter/character
or null space in the text 44I.
[0039] In the example of FIG. 9, it is assumed that the movable
body parts 1X of the toy FIG. 1 include the mouth 12 and the arm 4,
which are controlled by two single-coil solenoids respectively, and
the speed of the toy's audio speech is fast. Accordingly, the
logic-switch-control data/signal 83 includes two parallel
sequences: the first one 83I/831I are provided for controlling the
mouth 12, and the second one 83J/83J1 are provided for control of
the arm 4. In creating the data/signal sequence 83I/83I1, the rule
of the FIG. 8 example is modified by imposing thereon two
constraint, including, (i) any two "1"s therein should be separated
by at least two "0"s unless such two "1"s are next to each other,
otherwise, the second "1" shall be changed to "0"; and (ii) if any
of the words "the" or "a" or "in" appears, only the binary value
"0" is assigned. The second logic-switch-control data/signal
sequence 83J/83J1 for controlling the arm 4 is created by randomly
assigning the binary code "1" to each binary element therein,
provided that the total number of"1"s in the data sequence 83J is
less then 30% of the total number of the binary element
therein.
[0040] In the example of FIG. 10, the movable body parts 1X of the
toy figure 1 include the mouth 12 and the arm 4, provided that, the
solenoid 42 employed for actuating the arm 4 is assumed to have two
coils (e.g., coils 66A-66G and 66B-66G of FIG. 5). Thus, the
logic-switch-control data/signal 83 includes three parallel
sequences: the first one 83I/831I are provided for controlling the
mouth 12; the second one 83J/83J1 are provided for controlling the
first coil of the solenoid 42, and the third one 83K/83K1 are
provided for controlling the second coil of the solenoid 42. The
first data/signal sequence 83I/831I is an improvement of that of
the FIG. 9 example by imposing thereon a constraint, i.e., the
binary element associated with any word in the text 44I may only
contain no more than twice the switching of "from 0 to 1",
otherwise, some of the "1"s that brake such rule shall be changed
to "0". In creating the second data/signal sequence 83J/83J1, there
is provided a predefined group of words including "yes", "good",
"great", "here", etc.; If any of the words in such vocabulary group
appears, such as the word "here" in the present example, every
binary element in association with the word "here" is assigned with
the binary value "1", otherwise, the value "0" is assigned. The
third logic-switch-control data/signal sequence 83K/83K1 is created
by randomly assigning the binary value "1" to each binary element
therein, provided that "0" will be assigned if the corresponding or
associated element in the second data sequence 83J is a"1".
[0041] Those skilled in the art will understand that, (i) the
"actuation-control signal" 83X transmitted to the toy figure 1 from
the computer 30 may be the same as or different from the
above-described "logic-switch-control signal" 83 desired to be
transmitted to the logic input 82X of the logic switch 82; (ii) the
actual data file for sound and actuation control of the toy figure
1 may be in a compressed or other standard or conventional data
format; (iii) the binary data sequences 83I-K of the FIGS. 8-10
examples may well be different from the actual binary "machine
code"created by or for a computing device; (iv) the timing unit of
each binary element of the exemplary binary data sequences 83I-K is
not intended for relating to the clock speed of a digital computing
device; (v) each "1" or "0" in the FIGS. 8-10 examples may
represent a continuous sequence of "1"s or "0"s respectively in an
actual binary "machine code" sequence; (vi) the toy figure 1's
sound signal 44W and actuation-control signal 83/83X may be
synchronously transmitted from two separate and synchronized
sources; (vii) each binary element of the logic-switch-control
signal 83 may also be related to the relative loudness of the
sounding of each word of the toy figure 1's speech; and, (viii) the
signal 83X or 83 may also be prerecorded in synchronous combination
with the respective sound signal sequence 44W for serving as a
synchronized source file or data.
[0042] It is further understood that, additional hardware devices
and/or software system may be included in toy figure 1 for
providing more optional features. For examples, devices such as
sound-activating sensors, thermal sensors, Light-emitting devices,
and/or touch detectors, or the like, may be added to the embodiment
to provided the toy figure 1 with more interactive features such as
responding to the touching/talking of a user, etc. In addition, the
actuation control interface and the sound interface of the computer
30 may be adapted to have multiple channels for connecting to and
controlling more than one toy figure 1 of the type described
above.
[0043] As shown in the FIG. 1, the control of actuation of the toy
figure 1's movable body part 1X in synchronization with other
multimedia components of the system is provided by the computer 30.
The computer 30 is, preferably, a standard multimedia personal
computer such as a standard IBM compatible PC or a Macintosh or the
like, or it may be a Network Computer, an Internet-enabled TV or TV
set-top box or the like, or a mainframe or workstation computer,
etc., or it may be of any other type of computing devices or
devices installed with multimedia systems. Alternatively, said
synchronization may be provided by a remote network computer. The
computer 30 has the basic functions of a conventional computer such
as data processing, data storage, data movement, and operating
control means, etc. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary computer system
in form of a conventional personal computer 30 for implementing the
synchronization methods of the present invention. As shown, the
computer 30 includes a processing unit 100, a system memory 102,
and a system bus 110 that couples various systems or components to
the processing unit 100.
[0044] The exemplary computer 30 of FIG. 2 further includes a hard
disk drive 104B, for reading from or writing to a hard disk 104, a
magnetic disk drive 119B, for reading from or writing to a
removable magnetic disk 119, and an optical disk drive 112B for
reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 112 (e.g. a DVD
or CD ROM). Said disk drives 104B, 119B, and 112B are connected to
the system bus 110 by, respectively, a hard drive interface 104A, a
magnetic drive interface 119A, and an optical drive interface 112A.
A user may enter commands and information into the computer 30
through input devices, such as a keyboard 30B and a pointing device
710 (e.g., a mouse or a handheld remove-control device), etc. These
input devices are often connected to the processing unit 100
through a serial port interface(s) 108 that is coupled to the
system bus 110. A monitor 30C or other type of display device
(e.g., a TV set 900) is also connected to the system bus 110 via a
video interface subsystem(s) 708'. The computer 30 may also be
provided with network connection systems, such as a network
interface or adapter subsystem 115B for connecting to a Network
805, or a modem 115A for connecting to a Wide Area Network (e.g.,
the Internet). The modem 115A is often connected to the system bus
110 via a serial port interface 115. The computer 30 also includes
a motherboard, the main circuit board on which the computer's main
electronic components are installed.
[0045] The computer 30 further includes interface
(hardware/software) subsystem(s) for facilitating connection and
data communication with the toy figure 1's actuation-control
circuitry 36 and speaker 44. As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the computer 30
controls the toy figure 1's speaker 44 via a connection 34A and via
an audio interface subsystem 116, which is coupled to the system
bus 110; The computer 30 controls the toy figure 1's actuation via
a connection 34C and via an actuation-control interface subsystem
106, which is coupled to the system bus 110. It is preferred that,
the actuation-control interface subsystem 106 is a custom-designed
interface subsystem for control of the toy figure 1's animation.
Alternatively, a conventional multimedia computer's standard or
existing interface subsystem(s), such as the standard serial or
parallel port, the game port, or the universal serial bus (USB),
etc., may also be employed for controlling the toy figure 1
animation; In such a case, the interface subsystem 106 may be
comprised of said standard/conventional I/O or interface components
of a standard multimedia computer. The audio interface 116 may be a
conventional personal computer's standard audio adapter for
controlling the computer 30's built-in speaker 44X. Alternatively,
a dedicated audio adapter or interface subsystem may be provided
for controlling the toy figure 1's speaker 44. Also alternatively,
a custom-designed integrated interface adapter subsystem 166 (FIG.
3) may be provided for providing both sound and actuation control
for the toy figure 1. Apparently, appropriate software systems are
to be installed in the computer 30 for supporting all necessary
operations described herein.
[0046] The following disclosure regarding the method of using a
handheld remote-control device to control an electronic appliance
is also disclosed in the U.S. application Ser. No. 10/340,429 filed
Jan. 10, 2003 by the applicant of the present application.
[0047] Reference is now made to FIGS. 11-12 in conjunction with
FIG. 1. According to another aspect of the present invention,
"Indirect Control" method is applied when using the remote control
710 for a general-purpose remote control of other electronic
devices. For example, in FIG. 1, the computer 30 is provided with
software/hardware subsystem for transmitting/receiving
remote-control signals, so as to simulate the functioning of a
general-purpose handheld remote control device. The electronic
devices, such as the devices 702/706 of FIG. 1, do not respond
directly to the user's operation of the remote control device 710.
If the remote control 710 is to be "adjusted" to control, for
examples, the new devices 702 or 706 or the toy 1, rather than
adjusting the remote control 710 itself, such an "adjustment" is
made by the respective software application installed in the
computer 30 such that, the desired (or adjusted) remote control
signals 74B/74A be transmitted from the computer 30 to the devices
702/706 respectively in response to the user's operation of the
remote control device 710, while the wireless signals transmitted
from the remote control 710 to the computer 30 are not "adjusted"
(thus "Indirect Control").
[0048] As shown in FIGS. 11-12, the computer system 30 of FIG. 1 is
provided with a signal transmitter/receiver subsystem 30T for
interacting with the remote control 710 and with an electronic
appliance 726 via wireless signals. The wireless signal employed
for such remote control interaction may be, preferably, a RF
signal. Alternatively, such wireless signal may be infrared (IR) or
intermediate frequency (IF) signal or modulated light signal or
other type of commonly used wireless signal for remote control of
an electronic appliance. It is preferred that the signal
transmitter/receiver subsystem 30T is provided with means for
transmitting and receiving wide range(s) of commonly used signal
spectrum so as to facilitate the functioning of general-purpose
remote control. In addition, each one of the electronic devices
feasible for remote control, such, for examples, as the device 706,
702, or the toy figure 1 of FIG. 1, may be provided with an
application icon or link in the computer system 30 to be shown on
the window desktop; When a user click on such application icon to
activate the associated remote-control software application
program, the electronic appliance associated therewith may then be
control by the remote control device 710.
[0049] Apparently, the signal transmitter/receiver subsystem 30T is
to be provided with a digital interface system 30Z (FIG. 12) so as
to interact with other components or computing/processing unit of
the computer 30. As a result, the computer 30 can be programmed to
interact with the remote control device 710 or to control the
electronic appliance 726 without providing the remote control
device 710 and the electronic appliance 726 with complex digital
interface. One skilled in the art would appreciate that such a
method may also be applied generally to using the computer 30 to
control an electronic appliance 726 without providing the appliance
726 with digital interface, and the interaction between the
computer 30 and the appliance 726 may be either one-way or two-way
interaction without providing the electronic appliance 726 with
digital interface. The computer system 30 may be a mouse-window
type computer system (FIG. 12) or a remote-control based computer
system (FIG. 11) or other type of commonly used computer
system.
[0050] The computer 30 may be connected to a network, such as the
Internet, such that a user can control the electronic appliance 726
from a remote location by accessing the computer 30 from another
computer at said remote location through said network. Furthermore,
as shown in FIG. 12, the control of the electronic appliance 726 by
the computer 30 can be synchronized with the content of a streaming
video (e.g., a TV movie being broadcasted from the TV station 208
or a video transmitted from the web site 300), such that the
electronic device 726 can also be part of the TV movie. For
examples, computer 30 can be instructed to turn on/off the light in
a living room at a specific moment of a TV movie, or to turn on the
air condition when "cold weather" is to come in the current TV
movie, or to activate an electronic deodorant device or the like to
generate flower-type of smelling in the air when the current TV
movies shows a flower garden, etc. The remote control system of
FIG. 11-12 may be used to control or interact with, for examples, a
clock, an exercise device such as a treadmill, an air condition
system, a refrigerator, a microwave, a light bulb, a TV set, a VCR
or DVD player, a sound system, a radio, or an electronic toy,
etc.
[0051] Since the transmitter/receiver 30T is provided with
wide-range signal spectrum capability, the computer 30 may be
provided with "button identification/assignment"
software-application program for identifying a button on another
remote control and assign the function of such button to a selected
button on the general purpose remote control device 710. For
example, if the electronic appliance 726 is provided with an
original handheld remote control device 710X (not shown) from the
manufacture that has a button 710X-A, and a user wants to designate
a button 710-A on the general-purpose remote control device 710 to
replace the functioning of the button 710X-A of the remote control
device 710X; The processes of identifying the buttons 710X-A and
710-A are by simply clicking on these buttons on the remote control
devices 710X and 710 respectively, and the resultant wireless
signals will then be received by the computer 30 and by the "button
identification/assignment" application program. The button
identification/assignment application program may then be used to
link or associate the button 710-A to the button 710X-A such that,
when the user depress or click on the button 710-A of the remote
control 710, the wireless signals transmitted from the subsystem
30T of the computer 30 to the appliance 726 will be the same as the
wireless signals transmitted thereto when the user depress the
button 710X-A of the remote control device 710X; Similarly, the
button 710X-A of the remote control device 710X may also be
assigned to a display button on a toolbar or to an image icon or
the like shown on the computer monitor such that when a user click
on said toolbar or said display button using a computer mouse, the
wireless signals transmitted from the subsystem 30T of the computer
30 to the appliance 726 will be the same as the wireless signals
transmitted thereto when the user depress the button 710X-A of the
remote control device 710X.
[0052] Naturally, the embodiment of the digitally synchronized
animated talking toy figure and the synchronization methods/systems
of the present invention are not limited to the above-described
examples. While certain novel features of the inventions have been
shown and described and are set out in the Claims, it will be
understood that various substitutions and changes in the forms and
details of the devices and software systems described throughout
this disclosure and in their operation can be made by those skilled
in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.
* * * * *