Toy Projector

Abstract

A toy projector. The present projector is a plush toy animal having an animal-like or fanciful appearance. The toy comprises a projector, one or more speakers, and the necessary electronic components for operating the projector and the speakers to play image, audio, and/or video content as desired by the user. The electronic components comprise a power source, one or more processors, a memory, and a logic that allows the present invention to play image, audio, and/or video content encoded in data files provided either wirelessly or via a physical computer readable medium. Furthermore, the head and body portions are pivotably connected together, which allows users to adjust the surface against which the images are projected without forcing the user to move the entire toy.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/896,483 filed on Oct. 28, 2013. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to projectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to projectors that are adapted for use by children in that they capture the interest of children and are simple to use.

[0004] Keeping children entertained is a constant struggle faced by parents and other guardians. Children generally thrive when participating in interactive activities and playing with interactive toys, but sometimes lose focus when taking part in passive activities. Movies are occasionally sufficient to hold a young child's focus for a period of time, but alone they may not entertain a child long enough to provide the parent or guardian with a sufficient amount of time to complete chores or complete other tasks. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for an interactive, entertaining media-playing device that is adapted to grab and maintain children's interest that provides a fun and entertaining housing for the media-playing electronic components, that is customizable, and that comprises a simple and intuitive interface that is easy for children to use.

[0005] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0006] Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to toy projectors and various types of stuffed or plush animals. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to stuffed animals having integral video display devices or projectors having a child-friendly design or appearance. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.

[0007] Various types of video projector devices are known in the prior art; however, these devices are not child-friendly because they are difficult to use, boring to interact with, and/or not customizable. Conversely, the present invention comprises an entertaining plush body housing the projector and various other electronic components that captures the interest of young children. Furthermore, the ability to easily adjust the direction of the projector allows children to have fun watching movies against their bedroom wall, ceiling, or any other such surface. Finally, the simple controls of the present invention disposed directly on the exterior surface of the plush toy itself are simply and intuitive to use for most children.

[0008] Furthermore, plush toys having various means for display video are also known in the prior art; however, these devices do not comprise a projector and instead generally comprise an integral video display screen. The projector of the present invention is an advantageous design because it allows children to watch movies against any surface they wish and does not have a screen that can easily be broken by children unaware of the fragility of such screens. Furthermore, the integral screen disposed on the exterior of these devices make the plush animals not as comfortable to hold and play with.

[0009] The present toy projector substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing stuff or plush animals having electronic video and/or audio display means. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of plush toys now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new plush toy adapted to display video content wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for providing an entertaining, interactive video and audio display device intended for use by young children.

[0011] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved toy projector device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a toy projector device that is a plush or stuffed animal.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy projector device in which the angle or position of the projector is adjustable.

[0014] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy projector comprising detachable and/or interchangeable components, allowing children to customize the appearance of the present invention.

[0015] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy projector that is adapted to play all types of image, audio, and video content.

[0016] Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy projector comprising a rechargeable battery.

[0017] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy projector having a control scheme that is intuitive for young children.

[0018] Yet Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy projector that may be readily fabricated from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.

[0019] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the front portion of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the back portion of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the electronic components of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the present invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the toy projector. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for displaying movies from a computer readable medium, such as a MiniDVD disc. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

[0026] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown perspective views of the front and back portions of the present invention. The present invention is a toy 51 comprising a body 11 and a head 12 that is pivotably attached thereto. The toy 51 is preferably constructed from plush material or other suitably soft material that makes the present invention pleasing to children. Furthermore, the depicted embodiment of the present invention has the appearance of a fanciful, animal-like creature; however, no claim is made as to a specific design of the present invention as the present invention make take a variety of animal-like or fanciful forms. Embodiments of the present invention further comprise a variety of additional features such as detachable wings, as shown, and other accessories that allow users to freely customize the appearance of the present invention.

[0027] The present invention further comprises a projector 13 disposed on the head 12, a speaker 15 disposed on the body 11, and the necessary electronic components disposed within the interior of the toy 51 to operate the projector 13 and speaker 15 components of the present invention. The projector 13 and the speaker 15 are preferably arranged such that they are roughly aligned with each other so that, when playing video content, the audio is emitted in the same direction of the video. The projector 13 and the speaker 15 may be used independently, as when displaying pictures or playing music, or may be used together, as when playing a video. The present invention is discussed as used to play video media; however, the present invention is adapted for use with video, picture/image, or music file formats.

[0028] The present invention further comprises at least one power source 16 and a microcomputer 17 embedded within the toy 51. The power source 16 comprises a replaceable battery, a rechargeable battery, or a power cord for connecting the present invention to an electrical wall outlet. The present invention further comprises a port 22 adapted to accept a charging cord for embodiments of the present invention utilizing a rechargeable battery as the power source 16. The microcomputer 17 comprises the necessary components to read, store, display, play, and/or otherwise make use of a computer readable medium 61 inserted into the present invention via a media input 14 disposed on the exterior of the toy 51. The electronic components of the microcomputer 17 are powered via the power source 16 and are adapted to operate the projector 13 and speaker 15 components of the present invention to play the media files contained on the computer readable medium 61. As used herein, "computer-readable medium" excludes any transitory signals, but includes any non-transitory data storage circuitry, e.g., buffers, cache, and queues, within transceivers of transitory signals. In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, the media input 14 comprises a MiniDVD-reader; however, the media input 14 comprises any device known in the prior art for accepting any type of computer readable medium 61. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the media input 14 is a wireless transceiver adapted to accept files transmitted to the present invention via any type of wireless connection, such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and the like.

[0029] The present invention is adapted to make use of all types of media data files adapted to encode video, picture, and audio content. These data file types comprise mpeg, mov, wmv, rm, m4a, wma, mp3, jpeg, gif, and all other such file formats. The provided list is only exemplary and is not intended to be exhaustive. When received by the media input 14, the microcomputer 17 reads the data files, recognizes the given file format type, and initiates the appropriate media playback. In some embodiments of the present invention, the media playback is initiated automatically; in other embodiments of the present invention, the user must initiate media playback via the user controls 21.

[0030] The present invention further comprises user controls 21 disposed on the exterior portion of the toy 51. The user controls 21 comprise an on/off button and a variety of buttons adapted to control video, picture, or audio playback, including stop, pause, fast forward, rewind, next selection and/or chapter, previous selection and/or chapter, and other such buttons. The user controls 21 are adapted to be intuitive for young children to use, therefore the types of buttons utilizes by the user controls 21 are selected from those with which children would be familiar and they are located on the exterior of the toy 51 in an easily accessible location.

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a diagram of the electronic components of the present invention. The electronic components of the present invention comprise the user controls 21 disposed on the exterior of the toy 51 with which the user can control the operation of the power source 16 and the microcomputer 17. In embodiments of the present invention wherein the power source 16 comprises a rechargeable battery, the present invention further comprises a port 22 that is adapted to accept a cord for recharging the battery. In embodiments of the present invention wherein the power source 16 is of a non-rechargeable variety, e.g. a power cord that is adapted to be connected to an electrical wall outlet or a replaceable battery, then the toy 51 lacks the recharging port 22.

[0032] The microcomputer 17 comprises one or more processors, a memory, an operating system, a logic, and any other electronic components necessary to read a computer readable medium and execute the instructions encoded thereon to display a combination of picture, audio, and/or video files via the projector 13 and speaker 15 disposed on the toy 51 for the enjoyment of the user. As used herein, "logic" refers to (i) logic implemented as computer instructions and/or data within one or more computer processes and/or (ii) logic implemented in electronic circuitry. The data files are provided to the microcomputer 17 via a media input 14, which comprises a device for physically accepting a computer readable medium, such as a MiniDVD drive, or a device for wirelessly accepting the data files via a wireless data connection. The various electronic components of the present invention are electrically connected together and powered via the power source 16 in any manner known in the prior art.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the present invention in use. The present invention is adapted to project video or photographic content from the projector 13 onto a surface 71, such as a wall, in order to provide an image 72 that is viewable by a user. Furthermore, the present invention is additionally adapted to play audio content from the speaker 15 either alone or in combination with the video or photographic content from the projector 13. The pivotable connection between the head 12 and body 11 portions of the present invention allows the user to adjust the direction in which the video or image content is projected, thereby allowing the user to place the toy 51 at a desired location and adjust the viewing angle of the projected image 71 without having to adjust the positioning of the entire toy 51. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pivotable connection between the body 11 and the head 11 provides both a horizontally-adjustable and vertically-adjustable connection. Such a design is especially advantageous for young children because it allows them to project the video or picture content onto a wall, the ceiling, or whatever other surface 71 that they desire. This makes watching movies even more enjoyable for them because it provides the children with a means to watch movies and other video content in a way that other electronic devices do not allow.

[0034] It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

[0035] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A toy projector, comprising: a body and a head; a projector and one or more speakers disposed on said toy projector; an input adapted to accept data files; a microcomputer comprising one or more processors, a memory, and a logic adapted to execute said data files and transmit image, video, and audio content encoded within said data files to said projector and said one or more speakers; user controls disposed on said toy projector, said user controls adapted to control playback of said image, video, and audio content; a power source; wherein the projector is adapted to display said image and video content; wherein said one or more speakers are adapted to play said audio content.

2. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said head and said body are connected via a pivotable connection.

3. The toy projector of claim 2, wherein said pivotable connection is both horizontally and vertically adjustable.

4. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said toy projector is composed of plush material.

5. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said projector is disposed on said head.

6. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said one or more speakers are disposed on said body.

7. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said input comprises a device for accepting a physical computer readable medium.

8. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said input comprises a wireless transceiver for wirelessly accepting data files.

9. The toy projector of claim 1, wherein said power source comprises a rechargeable battery.

10. The toy projector of claim 9, further comprising a recharging port disposed on said toy projector.