Stimulus-responsive novelty device
OwnerCraig P. Nadelinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novelty device having a housing, a sensing element in the housing for sensing a stimulus and for generating an electrical signal in response to the sensed stimulus, a processor in the housing for receiving the corresponding electrical signal and for generating a responsive control signal, and an output producing device for generating in response to the control signal an output suggesting the presence of a living being trying to escape from within the housing. The output may take the form of a simulated voice asking to be “let out” of the housing, in concurrent combination with a rocking or vibrating or irregular motion of the housing suggesting that the housing is being shaken by the trapped being seeking to escape from within the box.
Claims21
A novelty device for generating, in response to a predetermined input, a concurrent plurality of related sensory outputs perceivable by an observer of the device for creating a humorous and unexpected reaction from the observer, comprising:
- a substantially closed housing including a base for freestanding support on an underlying support surface;
- trigger means associated with the housing for receiving a predetermined stimulus originating external to the housing and for generating an electrical signal in response to receipt by said trigger means of the predetermined stimulus;
- and
- operating means in the housing for receiving the generated electrical signal and for generating in response to the received electrical signal the concurrent plurality of observer-perceivable related sensory outputs, said operating means comprising first means for operatively generating an observer-audible sound comprising a simulated voice suggesting that a living being is present within the housing, and second means for operatively creating, concurrent with the generating of said observer-audible sound, an irregular motion of the housing relative to the underlying support surface so as to suggest that the motion of the housing is being created by the living being within the housing in an attempt to escape from the housing;
- wherein said first means comprises means for generating a simulated voice uttering “let me out of here”.
A novelty device for generating, in response to a predetermined input, a concurrent plurality of related sensory outputs perceivable by an observer of the device for creating a humorous and unexpected reaction from the observer, comprising:
- a substantially closed housing including a base for freestanding support on an underlying support surface;
- trigger means associated with the housing for receiving a predetermined stimulus originating external to the housing and for generating an electrical signal in response to receipt by said trigger means of the predetermined stimulus;
- and
- operating means in the housing for receiving the generated electrical signal and for generating in response to the received electrical signal the concurrent plurality of observer-perceivable related sensory outputs, said operating means comprising first means for operatively generating an observer-audible sound comprising a simulated voice suggesting that a living being is present within the housing, and second means for operatively creating, concurrent with the generating of said observer-audible sound, an irregular motion of the housing relative to the underlying support surface so as to suggest that the motion of the housing is being created by the living being within the housing in an attempt to escape from the housing;
- wherein said second means comprises a motor operable to rotate a weight disposed within the housing about an axis defined eccentric to a central axis of the housing and wherein said first means comprises means for generating a simulated voice uttering “let me out of here”.
A novelty device for generating, in response to a predetermined input, a concurrent plurality of related sensory outputs perceivable by an observer of the device for creating a humorous and unexpected reaction from the observer, comprising:
- a substantially closed housing including a base for freestanding support on an underlying support surface;
- trigger means associated with the housing for receiving a predetermined stimulus originating external to the housing and for generating an electrical signal in response to receipt by said trigger means of the predetermined stimulus;
- and
- operating means in the housing for receiving the generated electrical signal and for generating in response to the received electrical signal the concurrent plurality of observer-perceivable related sensory outputs, said operating means comprising first means for operatively generating an observer-audible sound comprising a simulated voice suggesting that a living being is present within the housing, and second means for operatively creating, concurrent with the generating of said observer-audible sound, an irregular motion of the housing relative to the underlying support surface so as to suggest that the motion of the housing is being created by the living being within the housing in an attempt to escape from the housing;
- wherein said trigger means comprises means for detecting a sound originating external to said housing and for generating said electrical signal in response to detection of said externally-originating sound.
A novelty device for generating, in response to a predetermined input, a concurrent plurality of related sensory outputs perceivable by an observer of the device for creating a humorous and unexpected reaction from the observer, comprising:
- a substantially closed housing including a base for freestanding support on an underlying support surface;
- trigger means associated with the housing for receiving a predetermined stimulus originating external to the housing and for generating an electrical signal in response to receipt by said trigger means of the predetermined stimulus;
- and
- operating means in the housing for receiving the generated electrical signal and for generating in response to the received electrical signal the concurrent plurality of observer-perceivable related sensory outputs, said operating means comprising first means for operatively generating an observer-audible sound comprising a simulated voice suggesting that a living being is present within the housing, and second means for operatively creating, concurrent with the generating of said observer-audible sound, an irregular motion of the housing relative to the underlying support surface so as to suggest that the motion of the housing is being created by the living being within the housing in an attempt to escape from the housing;
- wherein said housing is configured to simulate a box.
A novelty device for generating, in response to a predetermined input, a concurrent plurality of related sensory outputs perceivable by an observer of the device for creating a humorous and unexpected reaction from the observers, comprising:
- a housing including a substantially closed portion and a base for freestanding support on an underlying support surface;
- trigger means associated with the housing for receiving a predetermined stimulus originating external to the housing and for generating an electrical signal in response to receipt by said trigger means of the predetermined stimulus;
- and
- operating means in the housing for receiving the generated electrical signal and for generating in response to the received electrical signal the concurrent plurality of observer-perceivable related sensory outputs;
- said operating means comprising first means for operatively generating an observer-audible sound comprising a simulated voice suggesting that a living being is present within the substantially closed portion of the housing, and second means for operatively creating, concurrent with the generating of said observer-audible sound, an irregular motion of the housing relative to the underlying support surface so as to suggest that the motion of the housing is being created by the living being within the substantially closed portion of the housing in an attempt to escape from the substantially closed portion of the housing;
- wherein said first means comprises means for generating a simulated voice uttering words suggesting that the living being is seeking to escape from within the substantially closed portion of the housing, wherein the simulated voice of said first means utters the words “let me cut of here”.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.