Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUPRA-VOICE SOUND-RESPONSIVE TAY
Cross Reference to Related A~~lications
[OOOI j The present application claims priority from United States Provisional
Patent Application Serial No. 60/472,313, filed May 20, 2003, and incorporated
herein
by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Background
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to sound-activated toys, and
particularly to toys that respond to sounds in one or more ranges of
frequencies, such
as sounds in a range of frequencies above frequencies of normal human speech.
[0003] Sound responsive toys with non-voice-recognition based circuits are
found in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,119,201, 3,770,981, 4,207,696, 4,221,927,
4,775,351,
5,090,936, 5,176,560, 5,324,225, 5,407,376, 5,429,513, 6,039,626, and
6,413,141, the
disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Recognition based
circuits
are found in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,688,126, 4,780,906, and 4,817,155, the
disclosures of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
Summary
[0004] As mentioned, the present disclosure is directed to a toy that responds
to
sounds having a frequency range above the frequencies of normal speech. The
toy
may also respond to other sounds, such as sounds having frequencies
corresponding to
the frequencies of normal speech. In some embodiments, the toy is responsive
to two
or more ranges of spaced-apart frequencies. In other words there may be a
range of
reject frequencies to which the toy is not responsive, which reject
frequencies are
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between ranges of frequencies to which the toy responds. In some embodiments
such
a range of reject frequencies may include a range of normal human speech.
[0005] The toy may have advantageous use when embodied in the form of an
action figure, such as a snake. In such an embodiment, the toy may be
responsive to
one or more frequency bands, and may have different reactions depending on the
frequency bands detected.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0006] FIG. 1 is a general block diagram of a sound-responsive toy.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a further embodiment of the toy of FIG. l,
which toy is responsive to different frequency ranges.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic of a circuit usable in an embodiment of the toy
of
FIG. 2~.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a table illustrating operating characteristics of the circuit
of
FIG. 3.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a chart illustrating graphically operating characteristics of
the
circuit of FIG. 3.
Detailed Description of an Embodiment
[0011] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a toy shown generally at 10, includes a
body 11, a sound detector 12, and an output apparatus 14. Sound detector 12
and
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output apparatus 14 may be included in body 11. In some embodiments, sound
detector 12 may be remote from the body, in which case body 11', shown in
dashed
lines, contains only output apparatus 14.
[0012] In this example, sound detector 12 is adapted to detect a sound in a
range of frequencies above normal human speech. Normal human speech is
generally
considered to be in the range of 300 Hz to 3000 Hz. Rather, sound detector 12
detects
sounds that are significantly above this usual range, referred to as supra-
voice sounds,
are detected and amplified. A range of frequencies can include a single
frequency or a
plurality of adj acent frequencies distributed between a low frequency and a
high
frequency.
[0013] Sound detector 12 can be of various forms, such as a circuit or a
controller that includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for
storing
data and operating instructions. Such circuit or controller may be embodied as
one or
more of hardware, firmware, and software. A processor may be any device, such
as a
computer, microprocessor, or other logic unit adapted to receive sounds from a
sound
receiving device 15 and to control an output apparatus 14.
[0414] Sound detector 12 may produce one or more control signals, such as a
control signal C, to output apparatus 14. Output apparatus 14 is adapted to
produce a
sensible action when sound is detected in the range of frequencies above
normal
human speech. A sensible action is an action that can be sensed by one of the
human
senses. Examples of sensible actions that a toy in the form of a snake may
include
moving a movable part of the snake body, such as a snake tongue, eye, tail or
other
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body part, illuminating lights positioned in the eyes, or making a sound, such
as a
hissing sound. The toy may produce one or several of such actions in response
to
control signal C.
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a toy 10 adapted to respond to two
different ranges of sounds. A sound detector 12 includes a sound receiver 15
and a
sound analyzer 16. Sound receiver 15 includes a microphone 1 ~ and a pre-amp
20.
Microphone 18 is adapted to transduce sound of a broad frequency range
including a
normal voice range and a range above the normal voice range, i.e., a supra-
voice
range, into an electrical current or sound signal S. Pre-amp 20 then amplifies
the
sound signal to a convenient level for further processing.
[0016] The sound signal output from the pre-amp is split into a supra-voice
path
26 and a second path 28. In the supra-voice path 26, the conditioned received
sound
signals are transmitted to a filter 30. In an embodiment in which the
frequency range
detected on path 26 is higher than that of path 28, filter 30 is a high-pass
filter. The
I S filtered sound signal is amplified by an op-amp 32 to raise the sound
signal level.
j0017] Filter 30 thus essentially filters out the normal voice sounds of a
person
speaking into microphone 18. The high-frequency sounds are then applied to an
amplitude detector 34. The amplitude detector puts out a control signal with a
high
value when the sound signal in the pass band of filter 30 is sufficient. The
amplitude
detector produces a control signal CS indicative of the receipt of a supra-
voice sound.
The control signal is then applied to a first action device 36, and any other
associated
output apparatus that performs a sensible action by toy 10.
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[0018] Sound signals traveling along voice path 28 pass through a low pass
filter 38 and an op-amp 40. The pass band of filter 38 filters out of the
sound signal
frequencies in the pass band of filter 30 in order to provide a distinction
between two
different ranges of sounds. In one embodiment of circuit 10, filter 38 allows
normal
human voice frequencies to pass.
[0019] Similar to signal path 26, the filtered sound signal is then applied to
an
amplitude detector 42. Amplitude detector 42 produces a control signal Cv
indicative
of the receipt of a sound in the pass band of filter 3 8. The control signal
is then
applied to a second action device 44 that performs a designated action by toy
10 that is
preferably different than an action produced by action device 36.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic of a circuit usable in toy 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2,
and
includes a sound detector 12 and an output apparatus 14. Sound detector 12
includes a
sound receiver 15 in the form of a microphone 18 and pre-amp 20, and a sound
analyzer 16.
[0021] Pre-amp 20 is shown as a two-stage amplifier having first and second
transistors 22 and 24, although it also may be provided by an op-amp. The
output of
the pre-amp is identified as TP 1. Representative values for the gain applied
to a
detected sound are shown in the table of FIG. 4, which data is represented as
a graph
in FIG. 5. The amplifier is seen to have a broad bandwidth or frequency range
extending from sub-audible frequencies to frequencies well above frequencies
normally audible to humans. This frequency range has a 3 dB bandwidth of about
150
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Hz to about 3 kHz, with a maximum gain at about 1 kHz. Signal gain is provided
over
a total range of about 10 Hz to about 300 kHz.
[0022] A sound signal S, output by the sound detector, is applied to sound
analyzer 16. The sound signal is split into a supra-voice path 26 and a second
path 28,
which in this embodiment is a voice path. In the supra-voice path 26, the
conditioned
received sound signal is transmitted to a high-pass filter 30 having a 3 dB
pass band of
about 7 kHz to 15 kHz and a peak at about 10 kHz. This is a frequency band
that is
outside the 3 dB pass band of the sound receiver, so it is amplified by an op-
amp 32 to
bring the center frequency up to a gain level similar to that applied to the
pass band of
pre-amp 20. The gain curve for the signals output from op-amp 32 is identified
as
TP3 in the table and chart in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0023] Filter 30 thus essentially filters out the normal voice sounds of a
person
speaking into microphone 18. The high-frequency sounds are then applied to an
amplitude detector 34 including an op-amp 46 and a transistor 48, shown in
FIG. 3. If
the signal output from op-amp 46 is large enough, transistor 48 is turned on.
This
transistor then produces a control signal Cs at the collector indicative of
the receipt of
a supra-voice sound. The control signal is then applied to a first action
device,
represented generally at 36, or other output apparatus, that performs a
designated
action by toy 10. In the circuit shown, the action device is a light-emitting
diode
(LED) 50 that emits a distinctive color, such as red. This light may be used,
for
instance, to illuminate an eye when the toy is in the form of an action
figure, such as a
snake.
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[0024] Sound signals traveling along voice path 28 pass through a low pass
filter 38 and an op-amp 40. The resulting filtered sound signal is identified
as TP2 in
the figures. It is seen that this filter has a pass band of about 200 Hz to
1500 Hz, and a
peak at about 800 Hz. This pass band thus allows lower common voice
frequencies to
pass, while suppressing higher frequencies.
[0025] Similar to signal path 26, the low-frequency sounds are then applied to
an amplitude detector 42, including an op-amp 52 and a transistor 54. If the
signal
output from op-amp 52 is large enough, transistor 54 is turned on. This
transistor then
produces a control signal Cv at the collector indicative of the receipt of a
voice sound.
The control signal is then applied to ari action device 44 that performs a
designated
action by toy 10 that is preferably different than an action produced upon
receipt of a
supra-voice signal. In this example, the action device is an LEIS 56 that
emits a
distinctive color, such as yellow. Any other action that is sensible, or
combination of
sensible actions may be performed.
[0026] Between the pass bands of filters 30 and 34 is essentially a suppressed
or
reject band 58. This band is between the frequencies of about 1.5 kHz and
about 7
kHz and has comparatively steep edges. The suppression of band 58 reduces the
likelihood that the sounds having frequencies in this band will result in
activation of
both supra-voice and voice triggered action devices. Further, in order to
activate the
voice-activated action device 44, it is necessary to speak with a lower voice.
There is
thus substantial contrast between the sounds that activate action device 44
and the
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sounds that activate action device 36, thereby decreasing the likelihood that
they will
both be activated at the same time, although it is possible to do so.
[0027] Although not specifically shown, logic circuits may be applied to the
outputs of the amplitude detectors, to produce different actions depending on
whether
only a voice signal or only a supra-voice signal is received, or both types of
signals
are received. As an example, if both types of signals are received, related or
coordinated actions could be produced, such as moving the same toy part in
different
ways or moving different parts connected together.
[0028] Even though the supra-voice signals are above normal speech, it has
T been found that people can generate oral sounds in the pass band of filter
30 if enough
energy is used in making the sounds. For instance, a pronounced and emphatic
hissing sound made primarily by pushing air through the oral cavity while the
oral
cavity is nearly blocked by an enlarged tongue, by blowing through clenched
teeth, or
a combination of both, it is possible to produce sounds in this frequency
band. It is
therefore a challenge for people to make the toy activate the supra-voice-
activated
actions, and it is an even greater challenge to activate such actions without
activating
the voice-activated actions. This operation thus allows a user of the toy to
"speak" a
"language" understood by the toy that is not understood in normal human
speech.
This is analogous to the ability of the fictional character Harry Potter to
speak to a
parsle-mouthed snake.
[0029] It is intended that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple
distinct inventions with independent utility. The specific embodiments
disclosed and
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illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous
variations
are possible. For instance, components having shared functions may be embodied
in
separate components and components having separate functions may be embodied
in
components having shared functions. The subj ect matter of the inventions
includes all
novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various
elements,
features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where the
disclosure
recites "a" or "a f rst" element or the equivalent thereof, such language
should be
understood to include one or more such elements, neither requiring nor
excluding two
or more such elements. Further, cardinal indicators, such as first, second or
third, for
identified elements are used to distinguish between the elements, and do not
indicate a
required or limited number of such elements, nor does it indicate a particular
position
or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated.
[0030] Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations of
features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through
presentation
of claims in a related application. Such claims, regardless of their scope,
are regarded
as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.
