Text/icon display predictor entertainment device
AssigneeSharper Image Corporation
InventorsJoseph F. Lozowski, Edward C. McKinney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fortune telling entertainment device includes an electronic library of stored text and displayable icons, one of which library entries is selected, preferably at least quasi-randomly, and displayed in apparent response to a user's question. The user preferably shakes the device, which motion initiates a pre-answer period during which optional entertainment display and sound may be output. After initiation is completed, a circuit selects, at least quasi-randomly, a response that is then displayed as an answer to the user's question.
Claims12
A method of entertaining a user with a fortune telling device, the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a hand-holdable device adapted to allow a user to verbally address a question that will appear to be answered by said device;
- (b) sensing user intent to use said device;
- (c) providing a library storing potential responses;
- (d) selecting one of said responses ostensibly in response to a question verbalized by a user to said device;
- and
- (e) textually displaying a selected said response as an answer by said device to the question verbalized by said user, including providing a display that includes a marque of discrete display elements, each of said elements able to display at least one alpha-numeric character.
A method of entertaining a user with a fortune telling device, the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a hand-holdable device adapted to allow a user to verbally address a question that will appear to be answered by said device;
- (b) sensing user intent to use said device;
- (c) providing a library storing potential responses;
- (d) selecting one of said responses ostensibly in response to a question verbalized by a user to said device;
- and
- (e) electronically displaying a selected said response as an answer by said device to the question verbalized by said user, including providing a panel display able to display at least one of (a) the phrase of text (b) an icon, and (c) a symbol.
A method of entertaining a user with a fortune telling device, the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a hand-holdable device adapted to allow a user to verbally address a question that will appear to be answered by said device, including providing a housing that includes indicia and a user-viewable display to electronically display said response;
- (b) sensing user intent to use said device;
- (c) providing a library storing potential responses;
- (d) selecting one of said responses ostensibly in response to said question verbalized by said user to said device;
- and
- (e) electronically displaying a selected said response as an answer by said device to the question verbalized by said user, including providing a display that has a plurality of light sources arranged on said housing in 1-to-1 relationship said indicia on said housing;
- wherein a displayed said response is displayed by activating one of said sources after said selection, said response being given by indicia associated with the activated one of said sources.
A method of entertaining a user with a fortune telling device, the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a hand-holdable device adapted to allow a user to verbally address a question that will appear to be answered by said device;
- (b) sensing user intent to use said device;
- (c) providing a library storing potential responses;
- (d) selecting one of said responses ostensibly in response to the question verbalized by the user to said device;
- and
- (e) textually displaying a selected said response as an answer by said device to said question verbalized by said user;
- wherein said device having a housing, said housing having an off-center weight disposed within said housing for rotation about an axis in response to user movement of said device.
A method of entertaining a user with a fortune telling device, the method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a hand-holdable device adapted to allow a user to verbally address a question that will appear to be answered by said device;
- (b) sensing user intent to use said device;
- (c) providing a library storing potential responses;
- (d) selecting one of said responses ostensibly in response to the question verbalized by the user to said device, where said selection can be altered by said randomizer circuit according to a user-input parameter into said device;
- and
- (e) electronically displaying a selected said response as an answer by said device to the question verbalized by the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.