Digitally synchronized animated talking doll

Abstract

Disclosed herein is animated talking toy figure feasible for digital actuation control and synchronization. Novel methods and apparatus are provided for control of and for coordinating the toy figure's sound and animation. Said toy figure has at least one articulated movable portion for providing animation effect, with the actuation thereof being provided by a two-phase actuation device, such as a solenoid, disposed therein. The toy figure's actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means, and is adapted to be digitally controlled by a computing device. A computer-implemented method for controlling and synchronizing the toy figure's sound and animation includes, (i) creating actuation-control signal based on detailed textual content of the toy figure's audio speech, and (ii) synchronously transmitting to the toy figure the actuation-control signal, for control of said actuation-control circuitry, and a sound signal for playback through the toy figure's audio output device.

1 . A physical toy figure adapted to be controlled by a digital actuation-control signal and a sound signal representing a selected audio sound, said actuation-control signal being separate from said sound signal, said toy figure comprising: 
 a body including at least one movable portion, said movable portion having an open and a default closed states;    audio output means for reproducing said selected audio sound in response to the toy figure receiving said sound signal;    an electromagnetic actuation device situated within said body for actuating said movable portion, said actuation device having a first and a second phases; and    an actuation-control circuitry for controlling said actuation device in response to receiving said actuation-control signal;    said sound signal being transmitted to said audio output means in synchronization with transmission of said actuation-control signal to said actuation-control circuitry.    
   
   
       2 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said first and second phases of said actuation device are associated with said open and closed states of said movable portion respectively, and wherein said actuation-control signal contains a signal sequence comprising a sequence of a first and a second logic signals for representing a first and a second predefined binary values respectively, said first and second logic signals being associated with said open and closed states of said movable portion respectively.  
   
   
       3 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means having a logic input, whereby said actuation-control circuitry causes said actuation device to be in said first phase for actuating said movable portion in response to said logic input receiving said first logic signal and causes said actuation device to be in said second phase for returning said movable portion to said default closed state in response to said logic input of the logic switch means receiving said second logic signal.  
   
   
       4 . The toy figure of  claim 1 , further comprising a second movable portion and a second electromagnetic actuation device situated within said body for actuating said second movable portion, the two actuation devices being independently controlled by said actuation-control circuitry in response to receiving said actuation-control signal so as to cause independent movements of the two movable portions of the toy figure.  
   
   
       5 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said actuation device is a solenoid.  
   
   
       6 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said first and second phases of said actuation device are associated with said open and closed states of said movable portion respectively, and wherein said actuation-control signal contains a logic-switch-control signal comprising a sequence of a first and a second logic signals for representing a first and a second predefined binary values respectively, said first and second logic signals being associated with said open and closed states of said movable portion respectively.  
   
   
       7 . A toy figure comprising: 
 a body for simulating an appearance of a living being;    at least one movable body part for simulating an animation effect of the living being; and    a two-phase actuation device situated within said body for actuating said movable body part; said actuation device including a coil and a magnetic plunger.    
   
   
       8 . The toy figure of  claim 7 , further comprising an actuation-control circuitry for selectively connecting electric power to said coil in response to receiving an digital actuation-control signal so as to control the actuation of said two-phase actuation device and hence said toy figure's movable body part.  
   
   
       9 . The toy figure of  claim 8 , further comprising audio output means for playing back a selected audio sound in response to the toy figure receiving a sound signal, said sound signal being separate from said actuation-control signal.  
   
   
       10 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said two-phase actuation device has an energized and a de-energized states, wherein said actuation-control signal contains a signal sequence comprising a sequence of a first and a second logic signals for representing a first and a second predefined binary values respectively, said first and second logic signals being directly associated with said energized and de-energized states respectively.  
   
   
       11 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said actuation-control circuitry is situated within said toy figure's body.  
   
   
       12 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said actuation-control circuitry is situated outside said toy figure's body.  
   
   
       13 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means, and whereby control of actuation of said two-phase actuation device and hence said toy figure's movable body part is provided by said logic switch means selectively switching electric power to said coil of the two-phase actuation device in response to said actuation-control circuitry receiving said actuation-control signal.  
   
   
       14 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said two-phase actuation device includes an energized and a de-energized states, wherein said actuation-control signal contains a logic-switch-control signal comprising a sequence of a first and a second logic signals for representing a first and a second predefined binary values respectively, said first and second logic signals being associated with, respectively, said energized and de-energized states of said two-phase actuation device, and wherein said actuation-control circuitry includes logic switch means having a logic input, whereby said logic switch means controls the actuation of said two-phase actuation device according to said logic-switch-control signal received at said logic input.  
   
   
       15 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein said actuation-control circuitry causes said two-phase actuation device to be in said energized state, so as to actuate said movable body part of the toy figure, in response to said logic input receiving said first logic signal, and causes said two-phase actuation device to be in said de-energized state, so as to return said movable body part of the toy figure to a default position, in response to said logic input receiving said second logic signal.  
   
   
       16 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein said audio output means is situated inside said body.  
   
   
       17 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein said audio output means is situated outside said body.  
   
   
       18 . The toy figure as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said two-phase actuation device is a solenoid.  
   
   
       19 . A device adapted to control and synchronize the sound and animation of an animated talking toy figure, said toy figure comprising a body having at least one movable body part, audio output means, and an actuation system, said device comprising: 
 an actuation-control component for transmitting an actuation-control signal to said toy figure; and    a audio component for transmitting a sound signal representing a selected audio sound to said audio output means for playback;    said actuation-control signal being separate from said sound signal and associated with said selected audio sound, and being transmitted to said actuation system of the toy figure for control of said toy figure's movable body part in synchronization with the transmission of said sound signal to said audio output means of the toy figure.    
   
   
       20 . The device as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein text content of said toy figure's selected audio sound is predetermined, and wherein said actuation-control signal contains a sequence of logic-switch-control signal that are related to the arrangement of vowel letters in said text content of the toy figure's selected audio sound.