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US 6,692,328 B1Granted
Electronic toy using prerecorded messages
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsAlan R. Reinberg, Graham R. Wolstenholme
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy, such as a toy pager or a toy telephone, generates an attention signal and plays a recorded message to the user. The attention signal is generated in a seemingly random fashion to simulate the operation of a real pager or telephone.
Claims15
A toy comprising:
- a message timer, said message timer generating a random timing signal;
- a message selector operatively coupled to the message timer, said message selector storing a plurality of messages;
- and
- a display operatively coupled to the message timer and the message selector, said display displaying one of said plurality of messages in response to receiving said timing signal.
1 more element
A toy comprising:
- a clock circuit, said clock circuit generating a clock signal;
- a random number generator generating a first random number and a second random number;
- a scaler operatively coupled to the random number generator for receiving said first random number, said scaler generating a timing signal correlative to said first random number;
- a counter operatively coupled to the clock circuit for receiving said clock signal, the counter generating a count signal correlative thereto;
- a comparator operatively coupled to the scaler and the counter receiving said timing signal and said count signal and generating a first trigger signal in response to said timing signal and said count signal being equal;
- a display operatively coupled to the comparator for receiving said first trigger signal, the display generating an attention signal in response thereto;
- a switch generating a second trigger signal, said second trigger signal ceasing generation of said attention signal;
- and
- a message selector storing a plurality of messages, said message selector operatively coupled to the random number generator, the comparator, and the switch for receiving said second random number, said first trigger signal, and said second trigger signal, said message selector selecting one of said plurality of messages in response to said second random number, and said message selector delivering said selected one of said plurality of messages to said display in response to coincidence of said first trigger signal and said second trigger signal.
6 more elements
A toy pager comprising:
- a visual display;
- a transducer;
- a message timer operatively coupled to the transducer, said message timer delivering a first trigger signal to said transducer, wherein said transducer generates an attention signal in response to said first trigger signal;
- a play switch, said play switch being actuatable to generate a second trigger signal;
- and
- a message selector operatively coupled to the play switch and to the visual display, said message selector having a memory for storing a message, said message selector delivering said message to said visual display in response to said second trigger signal.
3 more elements
A toy telephone comprising:
- a handset having a speaker therein;
- a ringer;
- a message timer operatively coupled to the ringer, said message timer delivering a first trigger signal to said ringer, wherein said ringer generates an attention signal in response to said first trigger signal;
- a switch coupled to the handset, said switch being actuatable in response to movement of the handset to generate a second trigger signal;
- and
- a message selector operatively coupled to the switch and to the speaker, said message selector having a memory for storing a message, said message selector delivering said message to said speaker in response to said second trigger signals
- wherein said message timer comprises:
- a clock circuit, said clock circuit generating a clock signal;
- a random number generator generating a first random number and a second random number;
- a scaler receiving said first random number, said scaler generating a timing signal correlative to said first random number;
- a counter receiving said clock signal and generating a count signal correlative thereto;
- and
- a comparator receiving said timing signal and said count signal and generating said first trigger signal in response to said timing signal and said count signal being equal.
10 more elements
A toy comprising:
- means for generating a random timing signal;
- means for storing a message;
- means for displaying said message in response to said timing signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.