Figurine using wireless communication to harness external computing power

Abstract

The invention is directed toward a figurine that utilizes wireless communication to harness computing power of an external computer. The figurine may capture visual or audible input and wirelessly transfer the input to the external computer, either directly or via a network. The external computer processes the input, generates output, and transfers the output to the figurine. The output can then be presented to a child as though the figurine processed and generated the output directly.

1 . A system comprising: 
 a figurine that captures input and wirelessly communicates the input; and    a computer that receives the input from the figurine, generates output based on the input, and wirelessly communicates the output to the figurine, wherein the figurine presents the output to a user.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the figurine captures speech data from a user and wirelessly communicates the speech data; and    the computer receives the speech data from the figurine, generates an audible response to the speech data, and wirelessly communicates the response to the figurine, wherein the figurine outputs the audible response to the user.    
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the computer receives additional data via a network, and wherein the computer generates output based on the additional data.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the figurine captures voice data from a user and wirelessly communicates the voice data; and    the computer receives the voice data from the figurine, identifies a person associated with the voice data, and generates an audible response to the voice data identifying the person.    
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the captured input comprises speech data from a user; and    the computer receives the speech data from the figurine, generates a translation of the speech data, and wirelessly communicates the translation to the figurine, wherein the figurine outputs the translation to the user.    
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the captured input comprises image data including one or more words or phrases; and    the computer receives the image data from the figurine, generates a translation of the words or phrases, and wirelessly communicates the translation to the figurine, wherein the figurine outputs the translation to the user.    
   
   
       7 . A system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the captured input comprises image data including one or more words or phrases; and    the computer receives the image data from the figurine, generates audio data corresponding to the words or phrases, and wirelessly communicates the audio data to the figurine, wherein the figurine outputs the audio data to the user.    
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless hub, wherein the figurine wirelessly communicates with the computer via the wireless hub.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising the Internet, wherein the figurine wirelessly communicates with the computer over the Internet via the wireless hub.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the figurine captures image data including an identifiable face or object; and    the computer receives the image data from the figurine, determines an identification that identifies the identifiable face or object, and wirelessly communicates the identification to the figurine.    
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the figurine captures additional data from a compatible object; and    the computer generates output based on the additional data.    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the output is first output and wherein the computer is programmed to proactively cause the figurine to output second output to a user.  
   
   
       13 . An interactive toy figurine comprising: 
 an data capture device to capture audio or video data; and    a wireless transmitter/receiver to wirelessly transfer data captured by the data capture device and receive output associated with the data captured by the data capture device.    
   
   
       14 . The interactive toy figurine of  claim 13 , wherein the data capture device comprises an image capture device, the figurine further comprising a display to display at least one of an image captured by the image capture device and the output.  
   
   
       15 . The interactive toy figurine of  claim 13 , further comprising a speaker to output audio data associated with the data captured by the data capture device.  
   
   
       16 . The interactive toy figurine of  claim 13 , wherein the data captured by the data capture device include one or more written words or phrases, and the audio data comprise an audible recitation of the words or phrases.  
   
   
       17 . The interactive toy figurine of  claim 13 , wherein the data captured by the data capture device include one or more words or phrases in a first language, and the audio data comprise a translation of the words or phrases in a second language.  
   
   
       18 . A method comprising: 
 capturing data from a user at a figurine;    wirelessly communicating the data to an external computer;    receiving from the external computer a response to the data; and    outputting the response to the user from the figurine.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data comprise speech data captured from the user, wherein outputting the response comprises outputting an audible response to the speech data.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein receiving the response comprises receiving a translation of the speech data and wherein outputting the response comprises outputting the translation to the user from the figurine.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data comprise image data including one or more words or phrases, wherein receiving the response comprises receiving audio data corresponding to the words or phrases, and wherein outputting the response comprises outputting the audio data from the figurine.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data comprise image data including one or more words or phrases in a first language, wherein receiving the response comprises receiving a translation of the words or phrases in a second language, and wherein outputting the response comprises outputting the translation from the figurine.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein outputting the translation includes driving a speaker to generate an audible recitation of the translation.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein outputting the translation includes driving a display to generate a visual translation.  
   
   
       25 . A system comprising: 
 a computer; and    a figurine communicatively coupled to the computer, wherein the figurine provides input to the computer, receives output from the computer and outputs the output to a user, and wherein functionality of the figurine is expandable via upgrades to the computer.    
   
   
       26 . A system comprising: 
 a figurine that captures input and wirelessly communicates the input; and    a parents unit that receives the input and generates an alarm based on the input.    
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising a computer that receives the input from the figurine, forwards the input to the parents unit and causes the parents unit to generate the alarm.  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the input comprises breathing information associated with a child and the parents unit generates the alarm if the child stops breathing.  
   
   
       29 . A system comprising: 
 a computer; and    a figurine communicatively coupled to the computer;    one or more system compatible objects, wherein the figurine interacts with the one or more objects by harnessing computing power of the computer, wherein the system compatible objects include indicia identifiable by the figurine to ensure that software on the computer can ensure interaction between the figurine and the object.