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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to talking toys such as dolls, and more
particularly, to one or more of such toys which may simulate intelligent
conversation in response to a narration or a story being played on a
recording medium.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since the mid-1800's, talking dolls have been known. These early dolls were
generally of two types: one with a string activated wood and paper bellows
said "Mama" or "Papa", the other relied on a weight activated cylindrical
bellows with holes along one side to emit a crying sound when moved. Some
dolls are still made this way today.
In the 1890's a doll known as the "Jumeau Bebe and a Phonographe" told
jokes, spoke phrases like "Hello, my dear little Mommie", using a
mechanism designed by Thomas Edison, which was a wax cylinder recording
activated by a key wound clockwork-like mechanism. In the early 1900's a
doll known as "Dolly" sang and recited nursery rhymes. These dolls also
used cylindrical records, but the recordings were probably on plastic or
rubber cylinders.
In 1960, a doll known as "Chatty Kathy" was introduced which had a
repertoire of eleven to twenty-two phrases. The voice mechanism was
operated by a pull string which activated a miniature phonograph disc that
played back pre-recorded phrases.
Over the years, there have been many efforts to make a doll more lifelike
and communicative with its owner. U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,794 discloses an
animated talking doll with a mouth actuating mechanism; eye and lip
movements were coordinated with a phonographic means for reproducing
speech. U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,406 proposed an improved mechanism for
coordinating the movements of the jaw with a phonograph. U.S. Pat. No.
3,745,696 disclosed a doll in which there were multiple animations in the
face.
More recently, it has been proposed to combine a cassette recording in a
doll, and the recording includes signals which will synchronously control
the movement of the mouth of the doll as the recorded phrases are
reproduced. It has further been proposed to have two dolls with cassette
recordings which will appear to simulate intelligent conversation. These
last mentioned dolls have also been provided with mouth actuating means
which move the mouth in synchronism with the recorded speech.
A drawback with these dolls is that they are not interactive with the
child. Some toy manufacturers maintain that the talking dolls improve the
play value for children between three and nine years. Some child
psychologists and parents disagree, stating that these dolls do nothing to
stimulate a child's imagination. The result is that children are reduced
to reacting to a toy passively, much like watching television.
A professor of child development at a leading university has stated that
talking toys serve to try to get children to have a more limited dialogue
with themselves. A child development specialist in the Pediatrics
Department of a West Coast hospital observed that children often turn off
their high tech dolls. This specialist has stated that, when he goes
through the rooms of a pediatric center, he rarely hears children playing
with them. Initially, the children are fascinated, but, when the thrill
wears off, young children use them in their own way, much as a snuggling
teddy bear. Young people need toys which inspire their imagination.
The loss of interest of the child in the speaking ability of a toy is
believed to be due to the repetitious nature of the speech provided by the
toys. Children soon become cognizant of the repetitive nature of the
vocabulary and lose interest.
The related co-pending application discloses dolls having speech
synthesizers, together with vocabulary words and phrases stored in memory
which may be accessed depending upon a radio frequency transmission from
another doll. In a doll network, one doll randomly becomes a speaker while
the other(s) merely responds during a given conversational routine. After
completion of a routine, another doll may become the dominant speaker for
a second routine.
A single doll is provided with a speaking system which includes a central
processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM) having digital data
indicative of speech stored therein, and a speech synthesizer including an
audio amplifier which will amplify speech phrases selected from the ROM
and apply the synthesized speech to a speaker. The doll's vocabulary is
selected so that it can be concatenated into phrases for establishing what
is referred to as a routine, and various sessions of speech within each
routine. Additionally, the synthesized speed is made responsive to various
positions of the doll or the actuation of certain sensors on the doll, or
even the motion of the doll.
Such a doll is capable of interacting speechwise with other dolls and
thereby providing interaction of the children who own the dolls. Logic
systems of the dolls are so arranged that a multiplicity of dolls may
engage in a network of speech. A doll may periodically initiate a signal
to determine if a similar doll is within its radio frequency (RF)
broadcast range, and, if this is detected, the dolls will engage in a
routine of simulated conversation which is divided into succeeding
sessions. In the case where two dolls are present, determination is made
of who will be the speaker and who will be the responder for a first
session. After such first session, another determination is made of who
will be speaker and who will be responder for the next session in this
routine. A third, fourth or more dolls which are present during a sequence
will be listeners and provide occasional responses; however, the third,
fourth or other dolls, upon beginning of the next session, may become the
speakers and/or responders, and the previous speaker and responder may
then become listeners.
This selection of who is speakers and responders is done in a random
fashion, so that it will appear to the owners of the dolls that all dolls
are engaging in the simulated conversation.
At the beginning of a session, the first doll to send its RF signal message
is referred to as the "A" doll. The "A" doll will randomly select a
routine in its memory and broadcast a radio frequency signal identifying
the routine and other data hereinafter described. The first of the other
dolls, dependent upon a random basis, to respond to the first doll, will
become the responder or "B" doll, and any remaining dolls will then be
listeners or "C" dolls for that session within the routine, but in some
sessions, may utter a response. In this manner, there will be no confusion
or collisions between the spoken words of the dolls.
Additionally, an "A" doll, after selecting simulated speech, will then
transmit a binary coded signal over a RF transceiver. This binary coded
signal will be picked up by the randomly selected "B" doll and compared
with that sequence of the routine selected by the "A" doll. The memory of
the "B" doll will contain a plurality of possible responses, which may be
selected on a random or predetermined basis and then the selected answer
is transmitted on the radio frequency transceiver of the "B" doll. This
may complete a session within a routine, at which time all dolls in the
network may randomly generate a signal to determine who will be the next
"A" doll. However, the session may include additional transmissions by
both dolls together with literal communication.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the invention, comprises one or more dolls as described
which interact with an external signal source telling a story or narrative
recorded on a medium such as magnetic tape. The tape, which has two tracks
or channels, has recorded on one track a story or narrative, and has
recorded on the other track binary data which is broadcast by a radio
frequency transmitter. The broadcast includes data which will instruct the
doll not to become an "A" doll, initiate speech, directions to synthesize
speech in response to a spoken phrase in the story or narrative, and
directions to make a statement which is intelligent with respect to a
spoken phrase of the narrative.
An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved system to
simulate interactive communication with a talking doll.
Another object of this invention is to provide a simulated story telling
and vocally responsive system involving one or more dolls wherein the
responses are random and not always repetitive.
A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved
learning device for a child where the child's doll appears to participate
in an interactive system providing a child with responses to comprise a
learning experience.
The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion
of the specification. The invention, however, together with further
objects and advantages thereof, may best be appreciated by reference to
the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1a and 1b are block diagrams of the logic systems of two dolls which
may be utilized in the invention;
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram exemplifying steps of operation of the systems
of FIGS. 1a and 1b;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are logic block diagrams exemplifying steps of selecting
dolls for speech;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a microprocessor used in the invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a portion of the
invention; and
FIG. 7 is another schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment
of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may best be described by first setting forth the
disclosure of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/011,600 filed Feb. 6,
1987 relative to the logic of dolls utilized in the invention.
Referring now to FIG. 1a and 1b, each doll includes a speech synthesizing
system 10, which includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11 in the form
of a microprocessor, a read only memory (ROM) 12, shown as coupled
directly to the microprocessor 11 although it could be coupled to the
microprocessor through a speech synthesizer 13. The speech synthesizer
will generally include an audio amplifier (not shown) which provides an
output to drive a speaker 14. As will hereinafter be described, the
speaker 14 may also act as a microphone, or a separate microphone may be
provided, but no microphone is necessary to the operation of the present
invention. A combination of the CPU, ROM and speech synthesizer is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,836, assigned to Texas Instruments, Inc.
However, the various components shown in FIG. 1, i.e. the CPU, ROM, speech
synthesizer, and audio amplifier, may be defined in a single integrated
circuit chip. In fact, such a chip is utilized in practicing the present
invention and is identified by its manufacturer Texas Instruments, Inc. as
a TMS5OC44 chip. The CPU of FIG. 1 communicates with a radio frequency
(RF) transceiver 15, which may receive a binary coded message from another
doll, or it may transmit a binary coded meassage to all other dolls in a
network.
The CPU 11 also receives as other inputs four position sensing inputs, a
sound level input, and a push button switch input. As will hereinafter be
described, the doll will have routines, depending on the various inputs.
All direct communication between the units is by radio frequency (RF)
transmission of binary coded data. However, the dolls will appear to be
audibly speaking to each other.
Data is transmitted as if it were a letter within a frame envelope. A frame
envelope is a series of binary bytes transmitted in serial fashion, as
hereinafter explained.
There will be stored in the ROM's of every unit a vocabulary in ordered
routines and sessions. The term "routine" refers to predetermined orders
of conversation between the interactive units. The term "session" is a
subdivision of a routine. The unit which initiates a routine randomly
picks a routine, identifies each routine which is randomly selects, and
includes a routine memory. This routine memory prevents the same routine
from being randomly chosen again until four other routines have been
experienced.
Set forth in Table I below is the content of a frame envelope which
comprises nine eight bit bytes.
TABLE I
______________________________________
Byte No. Bytes
______________________________________
1 Preamble
2 Preamble
3 Destination
4 Source
5 Frame Type (FT)
6 Phrase Code
7 Phrase Code
8 Routine and Session No.
9 Positive or Negative Response
______________________________________
As shown, a transmission comprises nine bytes, and each transmission
comprises nine bytes in an ordered array. The first two bytes are preamble
bytes and represent timing signals; the third byte identifies the
responding doll, the fourth byte identifies the initiating doll; the fifth
byte identifies the type of transmission, as will be hereinafter
explained. The fifth and sixth bytes are "phrase codes" and identify the
literal phrase which will be spoken next by the transmitting doll. The
eighth byte identifies the routine and the session number within the
routine. The ninth byte identifies whether the response is to be positive
or negative; and the tenth and eleventh bytes are for optional
information, dependent upon the routine or other circumstances.
Each byte has eight bits. Each byte is proceeded by a zero level signal and
terminated by a one level signal so that the receiver may count the bits
in each byte.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of the conversation that will go on between
units. At time t1, what will be referred to as an "A" unit initiates a
frame type 1 (FT1). The "A" unit will hereinafter referred to as the
speaker, and a "B" unit will be referred to as a responder.
When there are more than two units in the network, the potential responders
will have to determine who will be the actual responder. The speaking unit
A will send a message as identified in FIG. 2 with all information therein
except as to byte 3, since it does not know who, at that point, the
responding unit will be. If there are more than one responding units, the
responding unit as will hereinafter be described will determine who the
principal responder or unit B is to be. This will occupy the time between
t.sub.2 and t.sub.3. When unit B has been determined, it will transmit a
signal as shown in FIG. 2, in which it identifies itself in such frame
transmission (FT2) and will identify only unit A as the source. Units in a
network respond only if they have been identified as a speaker or a
primary responder. However, a C unit may make some response. Therefore,
after unit A and unit B, all others potentially in the network, will be C
units. At this point, the speaker, unit A, and the primary responder, unit
B, have been identified and all others have been locked out from primary
speech. Unit B will send an FT2 signal back to unit A, which is received
at time t.sub.4. The format of the message will be as shown in Table I,
but in byte 3, the unit B has now been identified, so in byte 5, the frame
type has now been identified as FT2, so the primary network has been set
up between unit A and unit B. At time t.sub.5, unit A, will now utter
literal speech in audio form which is audibly apparent to the owners of
the participating dolls, and shortly thereafter, between time t.sub.5 to
t.sub.6, will convey a message denoted as FT3 to unit B. The message FT3
will be in the format as shown in Table I, and will identify the selected
B unit in byte 3; the sending unit in byte 4; the type of transmission FT3
in byte 5; and phrase codes and instructions for response in bytes 8 and
9. In doing so, it will identify the routine and session number and
whether it wants a positive or negative response. This is received by unit
B at time t.sub.8. At this time, unit B will have a possibility of more
than one response, which is intelligible to the words of the A doll, and
the response is chosen on a random basis and broadcast vocally and
literally at time t.sub.9 -t.sub.10. At time t.sub.11, the B unit will
make another transmission which will identify to unit A and any other
units in the network the identification of response which it has given.
This will be received by unit A at time t.sub.12 as a FT4 transmission.
All FT4 transmissions are closely accompanied by or shortly succeed a
literal statement of synthesized speech, and the transmission FT4 will
identify to unit A the response during this session of a routine.
In FIG. 2, only one transmit FT3 and one return FT4 transmission has
occurred. However, depending upon the routines, there may be two or more
FT3 and FT4 transmissions between units A and B during a session.
Dependent upon the programming of a session, when the session is concluded,
unit A will transmit an FT5 message. This will be indicated in byte 5 of
Table I. An FT5 transmission is an indication that the session has been
terminated and a new session is to start. Alternatively, if the concluded
session is the last session of a routine, a new routine will be selected
as hereinafter explained.
The A doll is selected on a random basis. When a doll sends an initiating
or a HRE (hand raising event) signal, all operative dolls within receiving
range generate a random number in a random number generator 17. Refer to
FIG. 3. This number is loaded into a counter 18 which randomly selects a
speech routine from a routine register 19. The counter is decremented by
clock pulses toward zero. If no transmissions have been received when the
counter reaches zero as sensed by a gate 20, the doll will load the
selected routine and initiate an FT1 transmission. While FIG. 3 and FIG. 4
are shown in hardware form, their function may be performed by software
instructions.
The following Table II sets forth a routine termed "Pretend". This routine
will be discussed for purposes of illustration. At the top of the table,
the Routine Number is displayed in parentheses followed by the name of the
Routine or Interrupt.
Within each routine, all doll speech is divided into a number of Dialogue
Headings. Each heading is underlined and followed by a colon : the
specific phrases and sentences that a doll can speak are displayed
directly below it. Headings that are indented one tab indicate dialogue
spoken in single doll play or dialogue spoken by doll A in multi-doll
play. Headings indented two tab spacings indicate dialogue spoken only in
multi-doll play. A phrase number is associated with each heading.
If a sensor or sensors are to be checked after a phrase or sentence is
spoken, the appropriate sensor(s) are indicated as part of the dialogue
heading in parentheses in upper/lower case. If only one sensor is to be
checked, but that sensor is dependent upon the diaglogue spoken, the
potential sensor checks are each separated by a colon.
Any dialogue that is dependent upon a sensor check is indicated with the
sensor result in upper case lettering in parentheses as part of the
dialogue heading. Dialogue that can be spoken in multi-doll play is
indicated by the doll's designated part A, B, or C in <> following the
dialogue heading after the colon. For doll C parts, the type of chorus
response is also indicated--unison, scattered, or staggered. The C dolls
may speak dependent on the routine.
Under each dialogue heading, the following symbols and conventions are used
to indicate how phrases from the Concatenation List are chosen, put
together, and spoken to create doll speech: Phrases are grouped either
into tables of various column lengths or as concatenated sentences. A
blank line between each table or sentence within a dialogue heading
indicates an alternate speech selection. The doll chooses randomly with
equal probability what it will say from one of the alternatives.
Phrases which are grouped into columns are selected randomly, one phrase
from each column and concatenated together to form a spoken "sentence".
Each phrase within a column has an equal probability of being selected.
The use of square brackets [] is two-fold. They are used to indicate
alternate phrases within a column; or, if used at the top of a column of
phrases, they indicate that the column itself is optional (equivalent to a
null entry within that column).
A slash / between words indicates a concatenation between doll phrases
(from the Concatenation List).
Parentheses () indicate either a sound effect from the Concatenation List
or a programmer's note.
A pair of asterisks * * indicate that one of the designated word lists from
the vocabulary or concatenation list is being called or used.
A period . is used to indicate the end of a sentence (and a phrase).
Question marks ?, exclamation marks -, and underlining are used in some
phrases to indicate work emphasis and also as guidelines to actual speech.
A set of four dots .... is used to indicate the continuation of a sentence
or a table listed directly above within the dialogue heading.
A Hand Raising Event, HRE, in multi-doll play is indicated by =HRE=.
TABLE II
______________________________________
PRETEND ROUTINE NO.
______________________________________
SESSION I
(1) INTRO: <A>
Y'know what?
It's fun / to play pretend. / Isn't it?
[(sig. phrase)]
[Do you like / playing pretend. / I do!]
[I really like / playing pretend. / Don't
you?]
(2) + INTRO RESPONSE: <B & C -staggered>
Yeah! [It's / great!]
[Ok] [I just love / playing pretend].
[Sure] [Let's play].
[That's / so much fun].
(giggle)]
(3) - INTRO RESPONSE: <B & C - unison>
No way!
[Nope]
[I don't like / playing pretend.]
[Not me]
SESSION II
(4) SUGGESTION (Bounce Sensor): <A>
I've got an idea!
Let's pretend We're on a plane and we're
[Hey] [Make believe] [We're on a boat]
[(sig. phrase)] [We're on a merry-go-round]
. . . Going up and down. / C'mon! / Hold on to me. / Bounce me /
[on your knee].
(5) POSITIVE RESPONSE (Bounce): <A>
Wow! That's / great!
[(laugh)] [This is / so much fun].
[(sig. phrase)]
[Yay! / Faster!]
[(giggle)] [Faster! / Faster!]
(6) POSITIVE OTHERS RESPONSE (Bounce): <B:C>
Yah!
[Faster!]
[Wow!]
[That's / great!]
(7) STOP RESPONSE (Bounce): <A>
Hey That's enough!
[Uh-oh] [All this / bouncing up and down / makes me dizzy].
Wow! That was fun! You're / a good friend.
[(sig. phrase)] [That was / so much fun] [I'm glad you're here].
(8) NEGATIVE RESPONSE (Not Bounce): <A>
C'mon! Hold on to me! / OK?
[Aw c'mon!]
[I just love / playing pretend / but you'll
have to help me].
[Hey]
(9) 2ND NEGATIVE (Not Bounce): <A>
Y'know what? I don't like / playing pretend.
[OK]
Hey Don't you wanna play with me?
[(sob)] Please! / Talk to me].
[Aw c/mon!]
[Please! / Be my friend].
[Let's play / ok?]
=HRE=
SESSION III
(10)
THIRSTY COMMENT: <A>
WOW! [All this] / bouncing up and down / makes me
awfully thirsty.
[Whew]
[Y`know
what?]
[Hey]
[(sig. phrase)]
______________________________________
Referring to Table II, assume that a doll has made an FT1 transmission and
has become an A doll. The FT1 transmission will identify the A doll. This
FT1 transmission has identified the routine "Pretend" and the session to
any other operative dolls within broadcast range. Now, the other dolls, if
more than one, will determine who will be the B doll. This is accomplished
in a random manner. Briefly refer to FIG. 4.
Random number generator 17 will again load a random number in counter 18 if
an FT1 transmission has been received. Counter 18 will be decremented by
clock pulses and, when the counter reaches zero and no FT2 transmissions
have been received, the doll will be established as a B doll and will make
an FT2 transmission. A network has now been established between A and B
dolls, and other dolls are C dolls. It will be understood that all dolls
have essentially the same stored vocabulary and may be A, B or C dolls. If
not the same, the vocabularies will be compatible.
At time t.sub.5 (FIG. 2), doll A will make a FT3 transmission to doll B
which has broadcast its identification number in its FT2 transmission.
Doll A will look at a counter and dependent on a number in its least
significant bits select a phrase shown as
Y'KNOW WHAT
or
SIGNATURE PHRASE
A signature phrase is one such as
GEE
WOWIE
OH MY GOODNESS
which is randomly selected when the doll is first powered up. Then the doll
will randomly select a second phrase as shown under (1). These phrases are
uttered in synthesized speech between times t.sub.5 and t.sub.6 (FIG. 2)
and at time t.sub.7 broadcasts an FT4 transmission. This may elicit a
positive response from B and C (if present) as shown under (2) or a
negative response as shown under (3). The type of response is randomly
ordered by byte 9 as shown in Table I, and occurs between times t.sub.11
and t.sub.12 as shown in FIG. 2.
The A doll receives this return FT4 transmission from the B doll and then
makes an FT4 transmission which will terminate this session.
In the program for this routine a HRE event now occurs. Referring again to
FIG. 3, all dolls will now generate a random number in generator 17 and
apply it to counter 18 to determine who will be the A doll. However, at
this time the selected routine of Table II is still operative and the
remaining sessions will follow as shown.
In the routine of Table II if there is no FT2 response the A doll will
initiate a HRE signal. If there is still no response the A doll will
proceed through steps (4), (5), (7), (8), or (9), and then initiate
another HRE. If there is still no response the doll will go to step (10)
and then randomly select another routine.
The phrases for the routine shown in Table III are stored in the speech
data table of ROM 12 in addressable locations as shown in Table III.
TABLE III
______________________________________
VOCABULARY AND CONCATENATION
LIST REPRESENTATIVE OF TABLE II
ADDRESS PHRASE
______________________________________
213 Y'know what
81 It's fun
187 To play pretend
79 Isn't it
37 Do you like
134 Playing pretend
62 I do
78 I really like
134 Playing pretend
33 Don't you
211 Yeah
80 It's
52 Great
122 Ok
66 I just love
164 Sure
92 Let's play
171 That's
159 So much fun
45 Giggle
118 No way
115 Nope
63 I don't like
116 Not me
84 I've got an idea
93 Let's pretend
199 We're on a plane
53 Hey
98 Make believe
197 We're on a boat
198 We're on a merry-go-round
7 And we're going up and down
26 C'mon
56 Hold on to me
17 Bounce me
126 On your knee
209 Wow
171 That's
52 Great
91 Laugh
181 That is
211 Yeah
40 Faster
45 Giggle
211 Yeah
52 Great
53 Hey
172 That's enough
190 Uh-oh
5 All this
18 Bouncing up and down
100 Makes me dizzy
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