Interactive play device and method

An interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of past interactions with the user, and can operate in a plurality of states, comprising:

• a housing,
• a microprocessor with a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the play device, including controlling the device to operate in a plurality of states,
• a computer program segment that controls a plurality of interactions with the user, wherein the device provides at least two distinct interactions in at least one of said plurality of operating states,
• a plurality of input control mechanisms for the user to interact with the device, computer memory to store data related to user's interactions with the device,
• a computer program segment that processes said stored data to establish knowledge information related to how the user interacted with the device during said plurality of past interactions, including at least one of user's responses to interactions by the device, pattern of user's interactions with the device, user's preferences in interacting with the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and
• a computer program segment, responsive to user's activations of said plurality of input control mechanisms, and which employs said knowledge information to transform the device from a current operating state to a different operating state.

An interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of interactions with the user, comprising:

• a housing,
• a microprocessor with a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the play device, including enabling the device to operate in a plurality of states,
• a computer program segment that generates a plurality of interactions, wherein the device provides at least two distinct interactions in at least one of said plurality of operating states,
• at least one of a push button, switch, pressure switch, touch control switch, sensor, voice activated switch, speech recognition module, sound activated sensor, a motion detector, a touch control located on a remote apparatus, a sensor located on a remote apparatus, a push button located on a remote control apparatus, and an accessory that can be plugged into the device to enable the user to interact with the device,
• computer memory to store information related to said plurality of user's interactions with the device,
• a computer program segment that employs said stored information to establish knowledge information that includes at least one of user's responses to interactions by the device, pattern of user's interactions, user's preferences in interacting with the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and
• a computer program segment, responsive to user's interaction with the device and which uses said knowledge information to transform the device from a current operating state to a different operating state.

An interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of past interactions with the user, and can operate in a plurality of states, and wherein the device provides one or more interactions in at least one of said plurality of states comprising:

• a housing,
• a microprocessor with a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the play device,
• a program segment that controls a plurality of interactions with the user,
• at least one of a push button, switch, pressure switch, touch control switch, sensor, voice activated switch, a sound detector, a speech recognition module, a motion detector, a push button located on a remote control apparatus, at least one of a mechanical switch, a touch control switch, a sensor and a detector located on a remote apparatus that communicates with the device, and an accessory that can be plugged into the device to enable the user to interact with the device,
• computer memory to store information related to user's interactions with the device, a computer program segment that establishes knowledge information on how the user interacted with the device during said plurality of past interactions, including at least one of user's responses to interactions, pattern of user's interactions, user's preferences in responding to interactions by the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and
• a computer program segment, responsive to said user's interactions to transform the device from a current operating state to a different operating state.

In an interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device includes a microprocessor with a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the device, wherein the device employs a plurality of input control mechanisms for the user to interact with the device, wherein the device includes memory to store information, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of past interactions with the user, and can operate in a plurality of states, and wherein the device provides two or more distinct interactions during at least one of said plurality of states, a method for controlling the device having the steps of:

• generating a plurality of interactions;
• storing information in device memory related to user's interactions;
• employing said stored information to establish knowledge information that includes at least one of user's responses to interactions by the device, pattern of user's interactions, user's preferences in responding to interactions by the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user;
• and
• transforming the device from a current operating state to a different operating state based on said knowledge information and in response to user's activations of said input control mechanisms.

An interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of previous interactions with the user, comprising:

• a housing,
• a microprocessor with a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the play device, including enabling the device to operate in a plurality of states,
• a computer program segment that provides a plurality of interactions, wherein the device provides at least two distinct interactions in at least one of said plurality of operating states, and wherein in at least one of said operating states the device mimics human like behavior,
• a plurality of input control mechanisms that include at least one of a push button, switch, pressure switch, touch control switch, sensor, voice activated switch, speech recognition module, sound activated sensor, a motion detector, a touch control located on a remote apparatus, a sensor located on a remote apparatus, a push button located on a remote control apparatus, and an accessory that can be plugged into the device,
• computer memory to store information related to user's interactions with the device,
• a computer program segment that employs said stored information to establish knowledge information on how the user interacted with the device during said plurality of past interactions, wherein said knowledge information includes at least one of user's responses to interactions by the device, pattern of user's interactions, user's preferences in interacting with the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and
• a computer program segment, responsive to user's activations of said plurality of input control mechanisms, and which uses said knowledge information to transform the device from a current operating state to a different operating state, wherein said different operating state includes at least one new interaction with the user.

In an interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device includes a microprocessor with a computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the device, wherein the device employs a plurality of input control mechanisms for the user to interact with the device, wherein the device includes memory to store information, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of past interactions with the user, and can operate in a plurality of states, and wherein the device provides two or more distinct interactions during at least one of said plurality of states, a method for controlling the device having the steps of:

• providing a plurality of interactions with the user;
• storing information in device memory related to user's interactions;
• employing said stored information to establish knowledge information that includes at least one of user's responses to interactions by the device, pattern of user's interactions, user's preferences in responding to interactions by the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user;
• and
• transforming the device from a current operating state to a different operating state based on said knowledge information and in response to user's activations of said input control mechanisms, wherein said different operating state provides at least one additional interaction with the user.

An interactive play device for interacting between the device and a user, wherein the device gains knowledge from a plurality of previous interactions with the user, comprising:

• a housing,
• a microprocessor with a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program to control the operation of the play device, including enabling the device to operate in a plurality of states,
• at least one of a push button, switch, pressure switch, touch control switch, sensor, voice activated switch, speech recognition module, sound activated sensor, a motion detector, a touch control located on a remote apparatus, a sensor located on a remote apparatus, a push button located on a remote control apparatus, and an accessory that can be plugged into the device to enable the user to interact with the device,
• a computer program segment that provides a plurality of interactions, wherein the device provides at least one interaction that mimics human behavior in at least one of said plurality of operating states, and wherein the device provides an interaction that is independent of user's interaction during at least one of said operating states,
• computer memory to store information related to user's interactions with the device,
• a computer program segment that employs said stored information to establish knowledge information on how the user interacted with the device during said plurality of past interactions, wherein said knowledge information includes at least one of user's responses to interactions by the device, pattern of user's interactions, user's preferences in interacting with the device, user's skill in interacting with the device, and personal information pertaining to the user, and
• a computer program segment, responsive to user's activations of said plurality of input control mechanisms, and which uses said knowledge information to transform the device from a current operating state to a different operating state, wherein said different operating state includes at least one new interaction with the user.