Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
-~ 4109-806 CN ~ J~ PATENT
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I TALRING PLAYSET
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to sound generating toys and,
3 in particular, sound generating playsets including one or more
toy figures with a play structure such as a building, vehicle,
I etc.
Backqround of the Invention
A number of sound-producing toys and other amusement
devices have been developed. Dolls, in particular, have been
among the most highly developed of the speaking toys.
For example, U.S. Patents 4,318,245 and 4,809,335
disclose dolls with speech generating units and speech
generating units for dolls, respectively, in which movement of
the doll or unit actuates a speech synthesizer to generate any
of a variety of preprogrammed sounds and phrases. U.S.
Patents 4,249,338 and 4,451,911 describe another type of sound
generating doll in which different verbal r~sponses are
obtained from the doll by the provision of various switches on
the doll. The switches are used to select which of a limited
variety of different words/phrases/sounds are generated by the
doll. Lastly, U.S. Patent 4,696,653 discloses an improved
"speaking" doll which is both voice and touch switch actuated
to interact with the user.
Each level of improvement has varied and multiplied
the number of potential responses provided by the doll to make
the potential responses more difficult to predict. The less
predictable the responses are the less likely the user is to
become bored in playing with the toy.
Some play structures, such as dollhouses and
vehicles, have also been provided with sound generation
capability. The former (dollhouses) have generally been
limited to music generation and the latter (vehicles) to sound
effect generation.
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Summarv of the Invention
It is an object of the invention to provide a
talking toy having literally hundreds of different verbal
responses to minimize the predictability and thus enhance the
variety and play value of the toy.
It is another object of the invention to provide a
talking toy which provides conversational verbal responses
among two or more different toy figures.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide
a toy playset which includes a number of individual toy
figures and a play structure with which the figures may be
used for play and for controlling the generation of
! appropriate speech, sound effects or both based upon the
positioning of the toy figures with respect to the play
structure.
¦ In one aspect, the invention is a playset
comprising: a play structure; a plurality of separate and
' uniquely individual toy figures, each figure having a
different and distinct appearance and bearing unique encoding
identifying and distinguishing the figure from other figures
of the plurality; a plurality of sensors positioned at
scattered locations on the play structure, each of the sensors
being configured to sense the encoding on any one of the
plurality of toy figures when the one toy figure is
appropriately positioned with respect to the sensor; a
processor/synthesizer coupled with each of the sensors and
programmed to sense and at least identify each sensor sensing
one of the toy figures and identify the toy figure sensed by
each identified sensor and to generate a unique sound response
based upon the state of the toy playset including the identity
of any sensor sensing a toy figure and the identity of each of
the toy figures being sensed.
In yet another aspect, the invention is a playset
comprising: a plurality of separate and uniquely individual
toy figures, each figure having a different and distinct
appearance and bearing encoding uniquely identifying the
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~! figure; a first sensor configured to sense the encoding of any
~!' one of the plurality of toy figures appropriately positioned
with respect to the first sensor; a processor/sound
synthesizer coupled with the first sensor, the processor/sound
synthesizer being programmed to identify the toy figure sensed
by the first sensor and to generate a unique sound response
which is different for each different toy figure sensed by the
first sensor.
Brief Description of the Drawinas
The foregoing summary, as well as the following
~; detailed description of preferred embodiments, will be better
understood when read in conjunction with the appended
drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention,
there is shown in the drawings, embodiments which are
presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that
the invention is not limited to the specific
instrumentalities, arrangements and methods disclosed. In the
drawings, which are diagrammatic:
Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a toy
dollhouse of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the central level of
the dollhouse of Fig. 1 behind the center column of the
dollhouse;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower left front floor
socket in the house of the Figs. 1 and 2;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines
4-4 of Fig 3;
Fig. 5 depicts three separate and uniquely
individual toy figures used with the house of Figs. 1 and 2 to
form the playset;
Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of one of the toy
figure~;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the
mating of the toy figure of Fig. 6 with the floor socket of
Figs. 3 and 4; and
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Figs. 8a and 8b are schematic diagrams of the
electronics of the house.
; Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments
Certain terminology is used in the following
description for convenience only and is not intended to be
limiting. For example, the words "right", "left", "lower" and
"upper" designate directions in the figures to which reference
is being made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" refer to
; directions towards and away from, respectively, the geometric
center of the figure device or parts being designated. The
terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned,
derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
~ The essential components of the preferred playset of
3 the present invention are a dollhouse 12, which is best seen
in Fig. 1, and a plurality, preferably at least three,
separate and uniquely individual toy figures 14, 16 and 18,
which are best seen in Fig. 5. The figures are female and
male adults 16, 18 and an adolescent female 14 but could be
any living or imaginary human or non-human creatures. Each
has a different and distinct appearance so they may be
recognized by the player(s) as different characters.
Collectively dollhouse 12 and figures 14, 16 and 18 define the
preferred playset of the present invention.
J Dollhouse 12 has a conventional layout with two
rooms on the first floor and two additional rooms on the
second floor. A hollow base 20 of the structure 12 defines
and constitutes the first floor of the dollhouse 12. It also
houses some of the control and sound elements. A second,
~ horizontal panel 22 supported above the base 20 defines and
5 30 forms the second floor. A cover 23, seen in Fig. 2, attached
.1 to the lower side of panel 22 houses with the panel 22 more of
~i the control and sound elements. A battery power supply 70,
' preferably provided by 4 dry cell batteries 72 are both
- indicated in phantom housed in a furniture element 74 of the
dollhouse 12.
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According to an important aspect of the invention, a
plurality of figure stations in the form of sockets 31 through
37 are provided at scattered locations throughout the
dollhouse 12. The sockets 31-37 are formed into the upper
surfaces of the base 20 and second panel 22 and are indicated
diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2 to illustrate their
location. A first socket 31 is located at the left front edge
~ of the base 20 in an area constituting the front door of the
¦ dollhouse 12. A second socket 32 is located behind socket 31
! 1 o in the same room. Sockets 33 and 34 are located in the lower
right room, which may be a kitchen, for example. Two more
' sockets 35 and 36 are located in the second panel 22 in the
upper right room while a seventh socket 37 is located in the
second panel 22 in the left upper room. The particular number
and placement of stations such as sockets 31-37 are not
critical to the invention. However, as will be seen, the
greater the number of stations available, the greater the
number of sound generation options provided.
Each of the sockets 31-37 preferably has a separate
sensor associated with it. Each sensor is configured to sense
I encoding provided on each of the toy figures 14, 16, 18 when
;~ any one of those figures 14, 16, 18 is appropriately
positioned with respect to the sensor. In the present
embodiment of the invention, each toy figure 14, 16, 18 is
appropriately positioned with respect to a sensor by being
matingly inserted into any one of the sockets 31-37 associated
¦ with the sensor.
j The preferred construction of the sensor associated
with socket 31 is illustrated in Figs. 3-4. Preferably socket
31 (and each other socket 32-37 ) has a generally bulls-eye
shaped configuration defined by a series of recessed,
concentric circular grooves 310, 312, 314, 316 and 318, which
' are recessed into the u~per surface of base 20. These grooves
are defined and separated by a series of spaced rings 3 11,
~ 35 313, 315, 317 and 319, which are concentric with one another
t and the grooves. The rings project upwards sufficiently to
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define the grooves but remain slightly recessed into base 20.
Innermost ring 311 preferably is sized to receive, support and
retain a magnetically attracted insert such as a steel slug
320.
Preferably, the sensor beneath socket 31 is provided
collectively by four mechanical switches 41-44, which are
, partially exposed through and lie beneath the socket 31. The
three innermost switches 41, 42 and 43 are provided to
uniquely identify each of the three toy figures 14, 16 and 18.
The fourth, outermost switch 44, is provided to determine the
direction in which the figure 14, 16, 18 is facing when it is
received in the socket 31.
Switches 41-44 may be provided in a variety of ways.
~ In a preferred construction depicted in Figs. 3 and 4,
3 15 switches 41-44 are formed collectively by a one-piece
elastomeric pad 400, the outer circumference of which is
indicated in phantom in Fig. 3 and a printed circuit board
420, also indicated in phantom in Fig. 3, which lies under pad
400. The elastomeric pad 400 preferably includes four,
identically shaped, upwardly projecting, slightly conical
hollow members 401-404. Each member 401-404 is received in a
suitably configured recess formed on the underside of the base
20 beneath socket 31 in a manner to be partially exposed in
the bottom of one of the socket grooves 310, 312, 314 and 316,
respectively. Referring to Fig. 4, carbonized, electrically
conductive rubber plugs 405 and 407 are secured on the lower
side of upwardly projecting conical members 401 and 403,
respectively. Similar plugs (not depicted) are provided under
members 402 and 404. The panel 400 preferably is formed so as
to bias the conical members 401-404 and their conductive plugs
away from the underlying printed circuit board 420 by the
provision of conical webs like webs 406 and 408 supporting
members 401 and 403. Circuit board 420 includes four ~ets of
interleaved conductors, one set 421, 422 of which is located
under conical member 401 and another set 423, 424 of which is
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located under conical member 403. Similar sets (not depicted)
similarly lie under the other two conical members 902, 404.
Operation of the socket 31 and switches 41-44 will
I be better understood when considered in connection with Fig.
6, which is a bottom plan view of base 14' of the toy figure
14. Each toy figure 14, 16, 18 is provided with a preferably
circular base configured to mate with each of the sockets
31-37. The base 14' of toy figure 14 preferably is provided
with a series of downwardly extending projections, which are
defined and separated by upwardly recessed grooves and
indentations. An outer, downwardly extending annular
projection or ring 440 is sized and shaped to be received in
outermost groove 318 of socket 31. A groove 441 separates
ring 440 from a second, partially annular projection or ring
1 15 442. Partial ring 44~ is concentric with outermost ring 440
and is sized and shaped and positioned to be received in
groove 316. Projection 442 is a "direction" ring of toy
figure 14 and indicates the direction in which the toy figure
14 is facing. Preferably projection 442 has a uniform height
over an arc of about 15Q~ of the toy figure 14, centered on
the rear side of the figure. Preferably, the projection 442
continues towards the front of the figure 14 from either side
of the uniform height sector for about 30`, while receding
into the base 14'. This tapering of the ends of the
projection 442 enable the figure to be rotated in the socket
31 without becoming caught on the projecting portion of switch
44. Partial ring 442 defines two adjoining grooves 441, 443,
~ which extend over a sector of about 210` and merge together
¦ along a 150` arc centered at the front of the toy figure base.
¦ 30 At the center of the base 14' of toy figure 14, a set of
concentrically positioned, downwardly extending projections,
:' indicated generally at 450, are provided. Projections 450 are
sized and positioned to receive, support and retain a magnetic
disk 449.
The mating of the base 14' of toy figure 14 and
socket 31 is depicted in ~ig. 7. Permanent maqnet 449 is
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~? positioned to oppose and be attracted to steel plug 320, which
is fixedly secured in socket 31. The construction of the
bases of toy figures 16 and 18 are identical to the base of
toy figure 14 described thus far.
Each figure 14, 16, 18 is mechanically encoded with
its own unique identity by the provision of yet another
~' downwardly extending, uniquely positioned, annular projection
or ring. This "identification" ring of toy figure 14 is
indicated at 444. Ring 444 immediately surrounds permanent
magnet 449 and projections 450. Identification ring 444
~''3 extends sufficiently far beyond the set of projections 450 to
be able to engage and depress conical member 401 of switch 41
whenever the base 14 ' of figure 14 is placed in socket 31 with
`~'3 the magnet 449 contacting plug 320. Directional ring 442 will
~J 15 contact conicai member 404 of switch 44 only if the toy figure
14 is facing into the house and away from what would be the
front door of the house 12. Each of the other two toy
' figures 16 and 18 is similarly uniquely encoded by its own
'.t uniquely positioned, downwardly extending ring 446 and 448,
` 20 respectively, which are indicated in phantom in Fig. 7 and
which are sized and spaced to be received in grooves 312 and
j 314, respectively, where they will depress the conical members
402 and 403 of switches 42 and 43, respectively.
Activation force of each of the switches 41-44 is
controlled by the thickness and the height of the conical webs
406 and 408 supporting each of the more cylindrical, conical
members 401 and 403, respectively. Preferably, each of the
~1 switches 41-44 is provided with a relatively low activation
force of about 30 grams. No more than two of the switches
41-44 can be activated at any time by any of the toy figures
14, 16 and 18: one of the identifier switches 41-43 and the
directional switch 44 of socket 31. Therefore, a total
downward force of at least 60 grams is required. Preferably,
the magnet 449 in each toy figure 14, 16, 18 exerts magnetic
attraction force greater than 200 grams so as to tend to draw
the toy figure from the user's hand and pull the base of the
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toy figure into the socket. This assists the user in
correctly seating the figure in the socket.
Preferably, sockets 32-37 and their associated
sensors (not depicted) are identical to socket 31 and its
sensor (the multi-switch array 41-44), except that socket 31
is the only one of the seven sockets 31-37 which includes the
fourth, directional switch 44. It will be appreciated that
any or all of the remaining sockets 32-37 could be provided
with such a directional switch 44 and that the directional
switch 44 could be eliminated from all of the sockets,
including socket 31, if desired, for greater simplification.
,. House 12 is further preferably provided with four,
`~ individual, momentary contact switches 46-49 at various
locations in the house 12. Switch 46 on the lower central
column of the house may be used to generate a doorbell sound
effect. Switch 47 in the lower left room may be used to
generate a different sound, for example, a telephone sound
J effect. Switch 48 in the lower right hand room may be used
i for generating yet a third, different sound effect, for
example a water running sound to mimic the use of the kitchen
¦ sink or some other typical kitchen sound. Momentary contact
switch 49 is used to turn on and off, a light bulb 50 which is
preferably mounted between second panel 22 and cover 23. Bulb
50 preferably illuminates a translucent hemisphere 52 on cover
23, which forms a part of the ceiling of the first floor of
! the dollhouse 12, and a translucent replica of a dollhouse 54
¦ on the second floor of the house 12. Also indicated in Fig. 2
are louvres 69 which cover a speaker 68 (depicted in Fig. 8b),
, which is also mounted between second panel 22 and cover 23.
Figs. 8a and 8b show the major components of a
p~eferred control and sound generation system of the dollhouse
12. These include a combined controller/synthesizer 60, which
is coupled with a speech memory unit 62 and a pair of shift
registers 64 and 66. More particularly,
controller/synthesizer 60 is preferably a Texas Instruments
TSP50C10 Programmable Linear Predictive Coding-12 Speech
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Synthesizer with 8-bit microprocessor. Speech memory unit 62
is preferably a Texas Instruments TSP60C18 Speech ROM. Shift
register 64 if preferably a CD4021 8-Stage, Parallel
Input/Serial Output Shift Register. Shift register 66 is
preferably a CD4094 8-Bit, Serial Input/Parallel Output Shift
Register/Latch with Tri-state Outputs.
The preferred Texas Instrument
controller/synthesizer 60 includes an 8-bit processor, 12~
Byte/8-Bit RAM and 8K Byte/8-Bit ROM which are encoded with an
operating program and a table of code sets, each set
corresponding to one predetermined ("scripted") sound response
of the unit 12 to the depression of any of the momentary
switches 46-48 and/or the insertion of one or more of the toy
figures 14, 16 and/or 18 into sockets 31-37. The preferred
Texas Instrument speech memory unit 62 includes 256k bit ROM
encoded with data for approximately 254 separate scripted
responses, each of which may be a sound effect or a single
word, multi-word phrase, monologue, dialogue or conversation,
all with or without sound effects.
The preferred TSP50C10 and TSP60C18 can be emulated
using a Texas Instrument TSE50C10 with a 256k bit EPROM, a
Texas Instrument TSP60C20 with a 74HC139 two-to-four line
decoder/demultiplexer configured as an address decoder, t~o
74HC164 8-bit parallel out/serial in shift registers for
input/output expansion of the TSE chip, and a 74S04 with a 9.6
Mhz quartz crystal used as an oscillator for the TSE chip. A
9.6 Mhz resonator 61 may be used in place of the crystal with
the preferred TSP50C10 chip.
~ The controller/synthesizer 60 stores and retrieves
j 30 the code sets used to identify a series of the scripted sounds
stored in the memory 62. The series of scripted sounds are
serially processed to provide a unique sound response based
upon the state of the dollhouse 12. When requested by the
controller/synthesizer 60, memory 62 outputs to the
controller/synthesizer 60, the sound data constituting the
scripted sound(s) requested. The controller/synthesizer 60
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then processes and synthesizes the sound data into two-wire
:, signals which are output via pins DA1 and DA2 through an array
of four transistors Q1-Q4 to a suitable speaker 68.
, Controller/synthesizer 60 controls the operation of
the dollhouse 12, in part through shift registers 64 and 66.
¦ Shift register 64 is used to sense the state of the dollhouse
momentary switches 46-49 and the state of the sensor switches
associated with the sockets 31-37 while shift register 66 is
used in conjunction with shift register 64 to activate the
1 10 sets of switches associated with each of the sockets 31-37 of
l the dollhouse and to illuminate the light bulb 50. Moreparticularly, shift register 64 stores the values at register
locations P1-Pa, which represent the state of each of the
momentary switches 46-49, the presence (or absence) of any of
the toy figures 14, 16 and 18 in any selected one of the
sockets 31-37 and the direction of any figure which may be
positioned in socket 31, if socket 31 is the one selected
socket. These values are then fed serially over data line Q8
from the shift register 64 to input line A5 of the
controller/synthesizer 60 when serially clocked from the shift
; register 64 via its the CK input line. Shift register 66
receives a series of 8 data bits on its D input line from
~ processor/synthesizer 60 and loads them serially into latch
t positions Q0-Q7 under the control of clock pulses on its CK
line. After the positions Q0-Q7 are loaded, they are
simultaneously outputted on lines S1-S7 and L PWR in parallel
3~ in response to a strobe signal on the STR line of the register 66.
Lines S1-S7 each extend from latch positions Q0-Q6,
respectively, to the sets of the paired contacts provided in
each of the switches located at each of the sockets 31-37,
respectively. For example, line S1, when high, presents six
- volts at each of the switches 41-44 located at socket 31. If
any of the three identifier switches 41-44 is being depressed,
the interleaved pairs of electrodes associated with the
~ depressed switch will be shorted and current will flow through
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the shorted switch into one of the three toy figure status
lines F1, F2, F3, thereby identifying which of the toy figures
1 4 , 1 6 or 1 8 i~ in the socket 31 and is closing the ~wltch 41,
42 or 43, respectively. The orientation of that toy figure in
socket 31 is further signaled through the state of switch 44
via the DIR line. Status lines F1-F3 and DIR extend to
positions P5-P8 of shift register 64. The states of lines
F1-F3 and DIR are "sensed", in the first shift register 64 by
being loaded into the positions P5-P8 when shift register 64
is strobed. Status lines M1-M4 are also provided to positions
P1-P4 of shift register 64 to "sense" and store the state of
each of the momentary contact switches 46-49.
Preferably, the processor/synthesizer 60 uses the
second shift register 66 to separately energize each of the
. 15 sockets 31-37 in a predetermined order and, senses the
¦ depression of any of the character identification switches
(e.g. 41-43) located at the socket being energized through the
figure status lines F1-F3. In this way, the
j controller/synthesizer 60 identifies each toy figure 14, 16
~ 20 and 18 mounted in the house 12, the particular socket 31-37 in
i~ which that toy figure is inserted and the order in which they
were inserted.
Microprocessor/synthesizer 60 can be used to
generate a seven-place code 70:
CeSeCpSpClSlT
The first six places of the code 70 represent three character
identification ("C") and switch ("S") location pairs. These
identify each character 14, 16 and/or 18 received in one of
the sockets and designate which of the sockets 31-37 a
particular character is received in. The seventh place
i represents a time of day code (AM or PM). The seventh place
is also used to control the state of the light 50: AM
represents an off state of the light 50 while PM represents
j its on state.
! 35 The seven place code 70 not only indicates which
characters are located in which sockets, it can be used to
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indicate the order in which those characters were received in
the indicated socket. For example, the fifth and sixth places
of the code can identify the last ("l") or most recent
character (Cl) to be positioned in a socket and the socket
(Sl) in which it is received. The third and fourth places can
represent the character positioned prior to the last character
(Cp) and the socket (Sp) in which it is received. The first
and second places can represent the earliest ("e") positioned
character (Ce) of three positioned characters and the socket
(Se) in which it was received. Each switch place ("S") can
have eight potential values: one each for sockets 32-37 and
two for socket 31 indicating whether or not the directional
switch 44 in that socket 31 is being depressed by the figure
received in the socket 31. Each character place ("C") in the
code 70 can represent four potential values, one for each of
the three toy figures 14, 16 and 18 and a fourth if no figure
is present in that particular socket. Thus, the location and
arrival order of up to three characters indicated by the first
U~3 six character and socket places (CiSi) of the code 70 can be
represented by only fifteen bits. The seventh place (T) of
the code 60 requires only a single sixteenth bit to indicate
time of day (AM or PM).
Preferably, three areas of the RAM memory of the
controller/synthesizer 60 are dedicated to storing each
;~ 25 character/switch pair of places in a list. Character/switch
pairs are placed into a first "rightmost" memory position as
each toy figure 14, 16 or 18 is added to the dollhouse 12.
When subsequent characters are added to the dollhouse 12, the
earlier generated character/location pairs are shifted "left"
to adjoining dedicated memory areas while the most recent
character/switch pair is loaded into the rightmost position.
As each toy figure is removed from a socket, its
character/socket pair is deleted from the three memory areas
and any earlier character/switch pair still remaining
appropriately shifted right. The output from the three
dedicated memory areas plus the state of the light switch 49,
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which has its own separate memory location, can be combined
to generate the seven place code 70.
The provision of the seven place code 70, or some
similar code, permits a set of codes (a "script") of sound
effect(s)/monologue/dialogue/conversation to be identified,
which is appropriate for the characters present in the order
of their arrival at their indicated location(s) and is
~' different from the scripts for each other possible value of
the code. The aforesaid code 70 can be used to generate
literally thousands of potential character/switch/time
combinations, each of which could be used to identify the
"script" of an appropriate sound response, if sufficient
capacity were provided to store the codes needed to generate
each scripted response. Because storage capacity may be
limited in a toy to control its cost, the seven place code can
be shrunk to a level which conforms to the available script
data storage capacity in the dollhouse 12.
One way to reduce the possible number of different
script codes is to ignore the presence of the earliest
positioned character of three positioned characters or, more
`i preferably, to ignore the particular switch being activated by
the earliest of the three positioned characters and having
that character merely contribute a stock response to any other
dialogue, regardless of its position within the house 12.
This effectively ignores the second place (Se) of code 70. In
l~ addition, it is not necessary to distinguish between AM and PM
3i conversations for each possible code combination. In the
, preferred embodiment 12, over 700 different sound responses
sl (sound effects and situational monologues, dialogues and
conversations with and without sound effects) have been
l~ scripted. -
- Figs. 8a and 8b further disclose the means by which
-~' the dollhouse 12 turns itself on. Transistors Q5 and Q6
¦ provide power to the controller/synthesizer 60. Transistor Q6
is activated by the depression of any of the momentary contact
3 switches 46 through 49. In addition, Q6 may be turned on by
the insertion of any of the toy figures 14, 16 and 18 into any
of the sockets 31-37. Each of the character status lines
F1-F3 is coupled through switches in each socket 31-37
directly to the battery power supply "Vbatt" of the unit 12.
When any toy figure 14, 16, 18 is newly inserted into any one
of the sockets 31-37, the battery power supply Vbatt is passed
through the closed identifier switch (e.g. 41-43), through one
of the lines F1, F2 or F3 and the one capacitor C9, C8 or C7,
respectively, coupled with the closed switch. Vbatt is
preferably at least 6 volts, which is sufficient to permit the
connected capacitors C7-C9 to pass a current, momentarily
turning on transistor Q6, which turns on Q5. Q5 supplies Vsw
to processor/controller 60, memory 62 and transistors Q1-Q4.
Once the controller/synthesizer 60 has been turned on, it will
continue to maintain a high level signal on its own line A6
keeping transistor Q6 turned on for a predetermined period of
time, for example three minutes. The
microprocessor/synthesizer 60 will continually re-initialize
the three minute period each time one of the momentary contact
switches 46-49 is depressed during a silent period or a toy
figure 14, 16, 18 is added to, switched or removed from one of
the sockets 31-37.
i~ Operation of the device 12 will now be described.
Assuming the processor/synthesizer 60 is initially in a shut
down mode, depressing one of the momentary contact switches
46-49 or inserting one of the figures 12, 14, 16 into one of
the sockets 31-37 will cause a current to be presented to
transistor Q5, which will turn on transistor QÇ supplying
power (Vsw) to the processor/synthesizer 60, memory 62 and an
audio circuit including speaker 68. Processor/synthesizer 60
"wakes up" in response to Vsw and initially sets its I/O
lines, as the use of its various lines for input and output
are co~trolled by the program. It further resets a time out
"timer", within the program, which is a decremented counter in
the program designed to be counted down in preferably about
three minutes under normal operation of the program. The
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timer controls the state of output line A6. Before the timer
times out, output line A6 is set high to maintain a flow of
current to the processor/synthesizer 60 through transistors Q5
and Q6. Immediately thereafter, the lines Q0-Q7 of shift
register 66 are all set high to minimize the power changes in
the dollhouse 12 during power up. The processor/synthesizer
¦ 60 strobes the shift register 64 throu~h its line P/S to store
the values present at locations P1-P8. The
processor/synthesizer 60 clocks from the shift register 64 the
values stored from lines P1-P4 until it encounters a high
level value. The identity (P1-P4) of the momentary switch
46-49 generating the first high level value found is saved.
The processor/synthesizer 60 thereafter enters a delay mode
for approximately 0.6 seconds to allow all lines within the
dollhouse 12 to stabilize.
The processor/synthesizer 60 next reads the state of
the sensor switches at all sockets 31-37, in sequence, and,
based upon the readings, initially loads into its memory
certain variables used in subsequent processing. Three
~; 20 variables (LNCHD, LNMOM, LNDAD) ~re provided to store the
current station location (i.e. 1-8) of each toy figure 14, 16
and 18, respectively. Station locations 1-8 correspond to
either direction in socket 31 and sockets 32-37, respectively.
Another variable "OLDNUM" is set to a number equal to one less
than the total number of toy figures identified as being
present in the sockets 31-37. For example, if two toy figures
are sensed, OLDNUM is set equal to 1. Lastly, a variable
j "LIST COPY", which corresponds to the first six places of code
70, is loaded with a figure code and station code for all but
one of the toy figures found present in the sockets 31-37.
The places in the LIST COPY variable will be time ordered in
~ future cycles of the program but initially a random time
,~ ordering is used. If only one figure 14, 16 or 18 is present,
zeroes are loaded in LIST COPY. If two toy figures are
~'3 35 present, the figure code and station code of one of the two
figures is loaded into LIST COPY. If three figures are
'
~ 2~ ~ 33~
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.,
present, figure codes and station codes for two of the three
figures are loaded into LIST COPY, without regard to the
actual order the figures were previously inserted into the
sockets 31-37.
Next, the processor/synthesizer 60 handles any
momentary switch depressions which were previously identified.
~ If one of the momentary contact switches 46-49 were being
; depressed to wake up processor/synthesizer 60, and if tne
; identity of that switch was saved during the earlier step,
that switch 46-49 is now identified from the stored switch
identification. If the switch was one for generating a sound
; effect (i.e. switches 46-48), the processor/synthesizer 60
. skips ahead in the program to a subset of sound generating
steps and generates the sound effect in a manner to be
described, and then returns. If light switch 49 was
identified, the processor/synthesizer 60 switches the time
variable T from a low to a high value so that the light 50
l~ will be powered by shift register 66 during subsequent
; processing steps. Each time the depression of switch 49 is
i 20 thereafter sensed, the processor/synthesizer 60 reverses the
state of variable T. After generating the sound effect or
invertinq the state of the time variable T, the
processor/synthesizer 60 then resets the time out timer and
once again sequentially reads the values P1-P4 through shift
register 64 to determine if any of the momentary switches
46-49 is currently depressed. Again, the identity of the
, first switch (46-49) encountered, which is being depressed, is
stored for future processing.
The processor/synthesizer 60 next determines the
status of the toy figures 14, 16 or 18 in the dollhouse 12 to
generate an appropriate sound response based upon the figures
present and their locations. Processor/synthesizer 60 uses
shift register 66 to energize the switches constituting the
~I sensor associated with each socket 31-37, in series, and .
determines the presence of any particular figure in the socket
by the state of the F1-F3 lines and an orientation of the
.
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figure, if it is in socket 31, by the state of the DIR line.
For bounce protection, the processor/synthesizer 60 preferably
reads the status of each socket many times in succession and,
preferably proceeds to read the status of the next socket only
7 5 after the status of the socket being read has remained
unchanged for at least 250 read cycles. If a figure is
!~` identified as being present in a particular socket, the~` station code for that socket is loaded into the appropriate
j location variable, LNCHD, LNMOM or LNDAD, and another
variable, NEWNUM, is incremented. After reading all sockets
31-37, the total number of figures determined to be present is
indicated by variable NEWNUM.
The processortsynthesizer 60 now determines whether
there has been any change in the status of the toy figures.
Initially, it checks to see if NEWNUM is equal to OLDNUM, the
number of characters previously identified as being present in
the last interim cycle of the program. If the number of toy
figures remains equal, the processor/synthesizer 60 compares
, the current locations of each sensed toy figure (LNCHD, etc.)
with the previous location stored for that figure in the COPY
' LIST variable. If the locations remain the same, it means
-; there has been no sensed movement of any of the figures. The
program jumps forward to decrement the time out timer and
I then returns to handling any momentary switch depression
`', 25 previously stored. The program proceeds forward as previously
described to "read" the state of the sockets 31-37 and again
1 compare the status of the figures sensed with the stored
¦ values. If the figure/station locations (LNCHD, etc.) are not
¦ identical to the locations of figures previously stored,
s 30 indicating movement of one or more of the figures (i.e.
removal of one figure and its insertion in a separate
station), a new variable LIST is created storing the current
figure/socket (character/station) values. Because of the
processing speed of the program, it is unlikely that more than
one figure will be moved between consecutive cycles. The one
moved figure is considered by the program to be the last moved
~: - - . - : ~ -
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figure in th~ time ordering of the figure/station values in
the LIST variable.
If the new number of figures identified (NEWNUM) is
greater than old number of figures (OLDNUM) stored, which will
always be the case during start up, a new variable LIST is
~ created by adding the new figure/station values to the
r; appropriate end (i.e. right end) of the existing LIST COPY
variable and shifting the positions of the existing values
appropriately (i.e. to the left) to reflect the status of the
newly added figure as the last or most recently added fiyure
(i.e. ClSl).
If NEWNUM is less than OLDNUM, a new LIST variable
is prepared by deleting the figure/station values of the
removed figure from the LIST variable and shifting the
remaining figure/station values appropriately (i.e. to the
. right).
If the dollhouse 12 has undergone a change in status
of the toy figures, e.g. the addition of a figure, the
movement of a figure from one socket to another or a
combination of the above, the processor/synthesizer 60 will
., proceed to generate an appropriate sound response. The LIST
I variable is first stored as the new LIST COPY variable for use
;'. in the next cycle. To generate a response, the program
generates a response code variable from the LIST variable.
~ 25 Where the LIST variable constitutes the first six places of
Y3 code 70, for example, the second place of the code (Se),
~ representing the station identification of the earliest to be
`~ inserted of the three toy figures, is deleted leaving a five
i place response code constituting elements CeCpSpClSl of code
70. The processor/synthesizer 60 then matches the five place
i response code with an appropriate address code in its memory.
When it identifies the appropriate address code in its memory,
it removes and loads into a buffer, a set of one or more
individual sound codes which are associated with the address
code in the memory. The sound codes correspond to particular
sounds, word, phrases, sound effects, etc. stored in the
.~
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speech memory 62. The sound codes are read sequentially to
the speech memory 62, which returns the appropriate sound data
to the processor/synthesizer 60. The processor/synthesizer 60
temporarily stores, then manipulates and converts the sound
data into a two-line analog signal which is transmitted
through the DA1, DA2 output lines.
For example, a response code "32712" may represent
the earliest figure to be inserted (character 3), the second
figure to be inserted and the station number assigned to the
socket it is in (character 2, station 7), and the most
recently inserted figure and its socket station number
(character 1, station 1). The code 32712 thus may represent
toy figure 18 (character 3) at any location in the house, toy
figure 16 (character 2) located at socket 36 and toy figure 14
(character 1) located in socket 31 and facing into the room.
The address identified by response code 32712 may
have stored with it in the memory of the synthesizer/processor
60, one or more sound codes ~or a scripted sound response, for
example, sound codes: 001/008/123/137/212. These sound
codes may correspond to the following response: (sound
effect: door slam)/(child:) "I'm back"/(Mother:) "Hello,
dear"/ "How was your day?"/(Father:) "Hi, Dear."
If, for some reason, the processor/synthesizer 60 is
3 unable to make a match between the response code determined by
¦ 25 the processor/synthesizer 60 with the address codes stored in
its memory, the program simply proceeds as if a sound response
were made.
If the processor/synthesizer 60 is responding to the
sensed depressing of a sound effect switch (46-4&~, it is
preferably programmed to retrieve an appropriate sound code
from a special memory location, rather than search all address
codes, which is fed directly to memory 62. It then processes
¦ the sound data received from memory 62 and produces the
analog, two-wire signal for the sound effect on output lines
¦ 35 DA1, DA2.
., , I
: :
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.
- If handling a sound effect generation, the program
returns directly to the beginning of the program, as was
- previously indicated. If sound(s) was (were) generated in
;~
response to a change in the figures, the program next resets
~! 5 the time out timer and then immediately decrements the timer.
If, when determining the status of the dollhouse 12, the
processor/synthesizer 60 found the status of the characters
and their locations to have been unchanged from the previous
cycle, the program preferably skips the steps of determining
,~ 10 whether the new number of figures identified is greater than
or less than the old number and any of the intervening steps
' associated with generating a sound response and re-enters the
program between the step when the time out (countdown) timer
is reset and when it is decremented so that the program will
continue to decrement the time out timer while the status of
the dollhouse 12 remains unchanged.
After decrementing the time out timer, that timer is
~i~ examined to see if it has timed out. If the timer has not
timed out, the program returns to the step of handling the
momentary switch depression which was sensed in the last cycle
and repeats the foregoing cycle, performing the foregoing
steps. If the time out timer has fully decremented, the
processor/synthesizer 60 sets the latch positions Q0-Q6 to a
high level, delays for three seconds and then sets I/O line A6
,b 25 to a low value. This terminates the current to transistor Q6
which, in turn, turns off transistor Q5, turning off
processor/synthesizer 60 and memory 62 and turns off the
output enable line (O/E), which causes positions Q0-Q7 to
assume a floating state. Positions Q0-Q7 are pulled to Vbatt
by resistors R18-R24.
While a dollhouse 12 is presently preferred as the
activity structure portion of playset 10, it will be
appreciated that a variety of other play structures could b~
used with the present invention. The structures could include
buildings, fortresses, stages and stage sets and other static
structures, including terrain layouts, and various types of
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~3~
vehicles, including but not limited to aircraft, ships, boats,
spacecraft, etc. The present invention lends itself to use
with virtually any play structure which may be provided for
use with toy figures.
While the sensors of the present invention are
, provided by sets of mechanical contact switches, it will be
~j appreciated that other types of sensors and other types of
3i encoding could be used to uniquely identify each toy figure or
`~ sets of figures and to encode a unique identity to each
character (or set of characters). Such encoding and sensing
may be accomplished magnetically, electrically, optically,
inductively and electromechanically and in other ways. The
microprocessor/synthesizer can be provided by coupling
together individual components or, if sufficient quantities of
the products are intended to be generated as is the present
case, by custom designed and fabricated, integrated circuits
~3 with permanently stored software.
While a preferred embodiment has been described and
various modifications hereto suggested, still other changes
and variations to the invention will occur to those of
ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the present invention
is not limited to either the preferred embodiment of the
invention or the specific modifications suggested, but rather
is defined by the scope over the appended claims.
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