Patent Application Titled “User Interface For An Animatronic Toy” Published Online (USPTO 20190209932)

2019 JUL 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a patent application by the inventors Schwartz, Joel B (Los Angeles, CA); Horowitz, Aaron J. (Providence, RI); Chung, Hannah (Providence, RI); Oley, Brian (Jamaica Plain, MA); Garrett, Joshua William (San Francisco, CA); Mains, Oliver Raleigh (Oakland, CA); Nieh, Audrey (San Francisco, CA), filed on January 5, 2018, was made available online on July 11, 2019.

The assignee for this patent application is American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Columbus, Georgia, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “An animatronic toy is typically a plastic figure in the shape of an animal, person or fictional character, which has internal gears and controllers that move parts of the toy to mimic organic movements. Animatronic toys have existed since at least the mid-1980s with the introduction of toys such as Teddy Ruxpin.TM., a bear whose mouth and eyes moved while he read stories that were played from an audio tape cassette deck built into its back, and others.

“Animatronic toys have a potential use not only for play, but also in a healthcare setting. It is well known that pet therapy can provide comfort and emotional support to people of all ages. The movement and interaction of an animatronic toy simulating an animal, can provide a similar form of therapy to those who do not otherwise have access to pet therapy.

“Animatronic toys can further assist in a healthcare setting with both children and adults who are receiving treatment for illness by providing a method to communicate emotions. Communicating emotions can be very difficult for young patient receiving medical care, particularly those affected by cancer and autism.

“Conventional toys of this nature have limited interactive capabilities.

“It may be advantageous to create an animatronic toy with a robust user interface.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent application, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “Many advantages will be determined and are attained by one or more embodiments of the technology, which in a broad sense provides an animatronic toy. The toy may leverage the use of interactive play to help patients communicate their emotions with other family members and caregivers. The toy may be employed to provide comfort, emotional support, and joy to people undergoing medical treatments--particularly children undergoing chemotherapy. The toy may be an animatronic representation of duck. Various movements of the duck may mimic lifelike movements of a duck. For example, the duck may tilt its head forward and open its mouth, or the duck may tilt its head left or right or the duck may turn its head right or left while leaning its body in the opposite direction. Additionally, the duck may respond to environmental stimuli such as light, dark, sound, movement, or emotion cards/disks and/or it may interact with a software application on a computer or smart device.

“In one or more embodiments an interactive doll that performs automated movements is provided. The doll includes an outer shell that forms a shape of the doll. The doll may also include various movable body parts within the outer shell. The body parts may be moved through motors disposed within the outer shell. Multiple sensors may be disposed on the outer shell and at least one processor may be in electrical communication with the sensors. At least one identification card readable by at least one of the sensors may be included. The identification card identifies a mode for the doll. The processor may place the doll into a mode identified by the identification card.

“In one or more embodiments a method of interacting with a doll that performs automated movements is provided. The method includes a light sensor in the doll detecting a light environment around the doll. It also includes a processor receiving the light indication from the light sensor and placing the doll into a mode that includes the doll emulating hunger.

“The technology will next be described in connection with certain illustrated embodiments and practices. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications, additions and subtractions can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. An interactive doll that performs automated movements, the doll comprising: an outer shell that forms a shape of the doll; a plurality of movable body parts within the outer shell; a plurality of motors disposed within the outer shell for moving the movable body parts; a plurality of sensors disposed on the outer shell; at least one processor in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors; at least one identification card readable by at least one of the plurality of sensors; wherein the at least one identification card identifies a mode for the doll; and the processor placing the doll into a mode identified by the at least one identification card.

“2. The doll according to claim 1 wherein the identification card includes a simulated medical port.

“3. The doll according to claim 2 wherein the processor places the doll into a medical mode wherein the doll emulates receiving chemo-therapy.

“4. The doll according to claim 1 wherein said doll includes a speaker electrically coupled to the processor; wherein the identification card includes a soundscape; and the processor causes the speaker to play the soundscape.

“5. The doll according to claim 1 wherein at least one sensor includes a Bluetooth detector.

“6. The doll according to claim 5 further including a mobile device running a software application pairs with doll through the Bluetooth detector.

“7. The doll according to claim 5 wherein another doll interacts with the doll through the Bluetooth detector.

“8. The doll according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is a photocell light detector; wherein when the light detector detects a light environment it places the doll into a light environment mode and when the light detector detects a dark environment it places the doll into a dark environment mode such that the light mode and dark mode are different modes.

“9. The doll according to claim 8 wherein the light mode includes the doll emulating hunger; the doll further including a button electrically coupled to the processor for emulating feeding the doll.

“10. The doll according to claim 1 further including a speaker electrically coupled to the processor; wherein the speaker is a vibrational speaker and the speaker emulates a heartbeat.

“11. A method of interacting with a doll that performs automated movements, the method comprising: a light sensor in the doll detecting a light environment around the doll; a processor receiving the light indication from the light sensor and placing the doll into a mode that includes the doll emulating hunger.

“12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising; receiving an input to the doll through a button that is electrically coupled to the processor, wherein the input indicates to the processor that the doll is being fed.

“13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising: a sensor in the doll detecting a card that is placed near the doll; the processor, in response to the sensor detecting the card, interrupting the hunger mode, identifying the card and placing the doll into a mode indicated by the card.

“14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the card includes a simulated medical port and wherein the processor places the doll into a medical mode wherein the doll emulates receiving chemo-therapy.

“15. The method according to claim 11 further including the doll receiving a signal from a mobile device; the doll disabling an interrupt capability and the doll interacting with a software application on the mobile device.

“16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the interaction includes uploading usage data.

“17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the interaction includes updating a software in the doll.

“18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the interaction includes the doll receiving a sequence of commands and the doll performing the commands.

“19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the interaction includes adjusting an aspect of the doll in response to a message received from the mobile device.

“20. The method according to claim 11 further including the doll receiving a signal from another doll; the doll disabling at least one sensor and the doll interacting with the another doll.”

For more information, see this patent application: Schwartz, Joel B; Horowitz, Aaron J.; Chung, Hannah; Oley, Brian; Garrett, Joshua William; Mains, Oliver Raleigh; Nieh, Audrey. User Interface For An Animatronic Toy. Filed January 5, 2018 and posted July 11, 2019. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220190209932%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20190209932&RS=DN/20190209932

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