U.S. patent application number 12/859341 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for toy.
This patent application is currently assigned to DRAGON-I TOYS LIMITED. Invention is credited to Wai Nang CHOW.
Application Number | 20110195632 12/859341 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43829391 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110195632 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHOW; Wai Nang |
August 11, 2011 |
Toy
Abstract
An electric toy (10) is disclosed as including a microphone (14)
for recording sound, and a speaker (16) for automatically playing
back, after cessation of recording, the recorded sound at a
different speed and/or different pitch.
Inventors: |
CHOW; Wai Nang; (Hong Kong,
HK) |
Assignee: |
DRAGON-I TOYS LIMITED
Hong Kong
HK
|
Family ID: |
43829391 |
Appl. No.: |
12/859341 |
Filed: |
August 19, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/397 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 2200/00 20130101;
A63H 3/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/397 |
International
Class: |
A63H 5/00 20060101
A63H005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 11, 2010 |
HK |
10101565.1 |
Claims
1. An electric toy including: means for recording sound; means for
automatically playing back, after cessation of recording, the
recorded sound at a different speed and/or different pitch; and
means for randomly increasing or decreasing the speed of said
recorded sound and/or raising or lowering the pitch of said
recorded sound.
2. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said toy comprises a stuffed
toy.
3. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said recording means is
adapted to cease to record sound upon silence for a predetermined
period of time.
4. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said playing back means is
adapted to play back the recorded sound at a speed of up to 30%
faster than the original speed of the recorded sound.
5. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said playing back means is
adapted to play back the recorded sound at a speed of up to 30%
slower than the original speed of the original sound.
6. A toy according to claim 1 wherein said playing back means is
adapted to play back the recorded sound at a pitch which is higher
or lower than the original pitch of the recorded sound.
7. A toy according to claim 1 wherein a mouth portion of said toy
is movable during playback of said recorded sound.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to a toy and, in particular, an
electric toy capable of recording sound and playing back the
recorded sound.
BACKGROUND
[0002] There are various electric toys which are capable of
recording sound and playing back the recorded sound. In most such
toys, once sound is recorded, it will only be played back upon
activation of a switch or button. In addition, the sound as played
back is exactly that as recorded. Such an arrangement is monotonous
and lacking in interest. It is thus an object of the present
invention to provide a toy in which the aforesaid shortcomings are
mitigated, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the trade
and public.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] According to the present invention, there is provided an
electric toy including means for recording sound; means for
automatically playing back, after cessation of recording, the
recorded sound at a different speed and/or different pitch; and
means for randomly increasing or decreasing the speed of said
recorded sound and/or raising or lowering the pitch of said
recorded sound.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] An electric toy according to a preferred embodiment of the
present invention is described below, as an example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric toy incorporating the
present invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an exemplary electronic circuit
suitable for use in the toy of the present invention; and
[0007] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the operation of the toy of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] As shown in FIG. 1, an electric toy according to the present
invention is in the form of a stuffed toy, generally designated as
10, although it is of course readily apparent that the toy 10 may
be in any other appropriate form or shape. A switch or button (not
shown in FIG. 1) may be positioned within a finger or toe of the
toy 10 and actuatable by a user, e.g. by pressing the finger or
toe. A microphone and a speaker (both not shown in FIG. 1) forming
part of an electronic circuitry (to be further discussed below) are
placed within the body of the toy 10. The speaker may be positioned
close to the mouth 11 of the toy 10, to provide talking effect of
the animal represented by the toy 10. A light-emitting-diode (LED)
(not shown in FIG. 1) may be positioned close to or on the surface
of the toy 10 (e.g. as one of the eyes of the toy 10).
Alternatively, the circuitry may be provided with two LEDs, each as
one of the eyes of the toy 10.
[0009] An exemplary electronic circuit suitable for use in the
present invention is shown in FIG. 2. The circuit includes a switch
or button 12 for changing the circuit from "Standby" mode to
"Operation" mode, a microphone 14 for receiving sound from the
outside environment and transmitting the received sound to a sound
controller (to be discussed below) for recording and manipulation,
a speaker 16 for playing back the recorded sound which has been
manipulated by the electronic circuit in a manner to be discussed
below, and an LED 18 for signifying the mode of operation of the
toy 10. As discussed above, two LEDs may be arranged in parallel
with each other so that each acts as one of the eyes of the toy
10.
[0010] An audio driver 20 suitable for use in the electronic
circuit in the present invention may be one traded by Generalplus
Technology Inc. of Taiwan under their Model No. GPY0030B; a CMOS
serial flash memory 22 suitable for use in the electronic circuit
in the present invention may be a chip which is in 512 k.times.1
bit structure and traded by Generalplus Technology Inc. of Taiwan
under their Model No. GPR25L005B; and a sound controller 24
suitable for use in the electronic circuit in the present invention
may be a 16-bit sound controller traded by Generalplus Technology
Inc. of Taiwan under their Model No. GPCE048A, which includes a
16-bit microprocessor, a 24 k-word ROM, and a 2 k-word working
SRAM.
[0011] The circuit also includes a motor M. In particular, within
the toy 10 and close to the mouth 11 of the toy 10 are provided a
number of mechanical linkages (not shown) which are drivable by the
motor M to open and close the mouth 11, to mimic speaking movement
of the mouth 11.
[0012] A flow-chart showing the steps of operation of the toy 10
according to this invention is shown in FIG. 3. When the toy 10 is
switched on, it is usually in a "Standby" mode (Step 102). It will
detect whether the button 12 is pressed (Step 104). If not, it will
remain in its "Standby" mode. If the button 12 is pressed, the LED
18 will turn on (Step 106), thus emitting light, signifying that
the toy 10 is "awakened", and is in an "Operation" mode.
[0013] If sound is made and detected by the toy 10 when it is
awakened, the sound will be received by the microphone 14 and
recorded in the sound controller 24 (Step 108). It is pre-set that
the toy 10 will record sound of time duration of up to a maximum of
four seconds. An analog-to-digital converter (A/D Converter) in the
electronic circuit converts the recorded analog sound into digital
data (Step 110).
[0014] The toy 10 will keep on recording (Step 112) until it has
recorded for up to four seconds (Step 114) or until there has been
a period of silence of at least 0.5 second (Step 116). In either of
these cases, the toy 10 will stop recording (Step 118). The LED 18
will also turn off (Step 120).
[0015] The sound controller 24 will manipulate the digital data of
the recorded sound by, randomly:
[0016] a. increasing or decreasing the speed of the recorded sound
by up to 30% of the original speed of the sound; and/or
[0017] b. raising or lowering the pitch of the recorded sound.
[0018] A digital-to-analog converter (D/A Converter) in the
electronic circuit then converts the manipulated digital data of
the recorded sound into analog signals for playback (Step 122). The
amplifier in the circuit will also gain the analog signals for
subsequent playback, the speaker 16 will then play back the
amplified analog signals, and the motor M will operate to drive the
mechanical linkages to move the mouth 11 of the toy 10
synchronously during the time of playback, so as to mimic the
speaking movement of the mouth 11 (Step 124). When playback is
finished, the motor M will turn off (Step 126), and the LED 18 will
turn on again (Step 128). The toy 10 will then remain in this
awakened "Operation" mode for up to thirty seconds (Step 130). If
sound is detected within this thirty-second period, the toy 10 will
proceed to Step 106 and 108, and so on. If, on the other hand, no
sound is detected within this thirty-second period, the toy 10 will
return to "Standby" mode (Step 132).
[0019] It can be seen that, in the toy 10 according to the present
invention:
[0020] 1. the toy 10 will play back the (changed) recorded sound
automatically without the user having to further press any button
or switch, thus enhancing the ease of playing the toy 10;
[0021] 2. the sound as played back by the toy 10 differs from the
originally recorded sound in terms of speed and/or pitch, thus
adding to the fun of playing the toy 10; and
[0022] 3. whether the sound as played back by the toy 10 is faster,
slower, of a higher pitch or of a lower pitch than the originally
recorded sound is random and not controlled by the user. This
element of randomness/uncertainty adds further fun to the playing
of the toy 10.
[0023] It should be understood that the above only illustrates and
describes an example whereby the present invention may be carried
out, and that modifications and/or alterations may be made thereto
without departing from the spirit of the invention. It should also
be understood that certain features of the invention, which are,
for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may
also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.
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