Test Tube Alien Toy

Abstract

An interactive alien toy assembly ( 10 ) includes a chrysalis ( 20 ) that is placed in a test tube ( 22 ) along with water that dissolves the chrysalis ( 20 ) to expose an alien toy ( 12 ) whose super absorbent body portion ( 18 ) swells to simulate growth. Control circuitry ( 16 ) activates when an upper liquid sensor ( 32 ) and a lower liquid sensor ( 34 ) are exposed to the water. A light assembly ( 39 ) displays a simulated heartbeat in orange if both sensors ( 32, 34 ) are immersed to simulate overfeeding, in green if both sensors ( 32, 34 ) are exposed to simulate underfeeding, and in red if only the upper liquid sensor ( 32 ) to simulate correct feeding. A photo sensor ( 26 ) detects time spent in light and dark that is tracked to change the heartbeat, unless overfed. A computer display interrogation pattern ( 162 ) causes output of tracked age/neglect information or to go into an excited or coma mode.

1 . A toy, comprising:
 a body portion;   a sensor attached to the body portion responsive to an ambient condition;   a human detectable output device attached to the body portion; and   control circuitry contained in the body portion operatively configured in response to the sensor to track a metric associated with the ambient condition, to associate a current value of the metric with one of a plurality of stored output states, and to activate the human detectable output device in a defined output sequence defined for the associated output state.   
   
   
       2 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a light sensor. 
   
   
       3 . The toy of  claim 2 , further comprising an interrogation system including a display operatively configured to produce a coded light sequence, the control circuitry responsive to the coded light sequence to perform an alternative output sequence on the human detectable output device. 
   
   
       4 . The toy of  claim 3 , wherein the alternative output sequence comprises a lower power consuming coma mode. 
   
   
       5 . The toy of  claim 3 , wherein the alternative output sequence comprises an accelerated excited mode. 
   
   
       6 . The toy of  claim 3 , wherein the alternative output sequence comprises an encoded numeric representation of the tracked metric. 
   
   
       7 . The toy of  claim 6 , wherein the interrogation system is further operatively configured to receive and convert the encoded numeric representation into a displayed base ten number. 
   
   
       8 . The toy of  claim 2 , further comprising a second sensor attached to the body, the second sensor responsive to a liquid level in contact with the body, the control circuitry further operatively configured to respond to the liquid level. 
   
   
       9 . The toy of  claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is operatively configured to respond to the liquid level by altering the defined output sequence. 
   
   
       10 . The toy of  claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is operatively configured to respond to the liquid level by tracking a second metric. 
   
   
       11 . The toy of  claim 10 , further comprising an interrogation system including a display operatively configured to produce a coded light sequence, the control circuitry responsive to the coded light sequence to perform an alternative output sequence on the human detectable output device containing a numeric representation of the second metric, the interrogation system further operatively configured to receive and decode the numeric representation into a displayed base ten numeral. 
   
   
       12 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a liquid sensor. 
   
   
       13 . The toy of  claim 12 , further comprising a liquid container sized to receive the body portion, the body portion configured to upwardly present the liquid sensor, the liquid sensor operatively configured to generate a signal responsive to a depth of liquid in the liquid container. 
   
   
       14 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the human detectable output device comprises a light emitting device. 
   
   
       15 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the human detectable output device comprises an audio output device. 
   
   
       16 . The toy of  claim 1 , wherein the body portion further comprises an absorbent portion configured to swell in the presence of liquid. 
   
   
       17 . The toy of  claim 1 , further comprising an encompassing portion comprised of a material dissolved in liquid. 
   
   
       18 . A toy, comprising:
 a body portion formed of super absorbent material;   a sensor responsive to an ambient condition;   circuitry attached to the body portion operably configured to produce a varying human detectable output in response to a sensed change in the sensed ambient conditions.   
   
   
       19 . The toy of  claim 18 , wherein the sensor comprises a liquid sensor, the circuitry further operably configured to vary the human detectable output in response to a selected one of a group consisting of presence and absence of liquid. 
   
   
       20 . The toy of  claim 18 , wherein the sensor comprises a photo sensor, the circuitry further operably configured to vary the human detectable output in response to a change in intensity of ambient light conditions. 
   
   
       21 . The toy of  claim 20 , wherein the control circuitry is further operably configured to count an operating condition and to respond to coded light sequence to output the tracked operating condition on the human detectable output. 
   
   
       22 . The toy of  claim 21 , wherein the human detectable output comprises a light assembly. 
   
   
       23 . The toy of claim of  18 , wherein the human detectable output comprises a color light assembly. 
   
   
       24 . The toy of  claim 23 , wherein the color light assembly is responsive to the circuitry to produce a selected one of a group consisting of a first color, a second color, and a third color. 
   
   
       25 . A toy, comprising:
 a body portion;   a liquid sensor attached to the body portion;   a light sensor attached to the body portion;   a light assembly attached to the body portion;   control circuitry contained in the body portion and in communication with the liquid and light sensors and operatively configured to actuate the light assembly in response to the liquid sensor and the light sensor.   
   
   
       26 . The toy of  claim 25 , further comprising a dissolvable layer encompassing the body portion, the control circuitry responsive to the encased state of a selected one of a group consisting of the liquid and light sensors to operate in a low power consumption mode. 
   
   
       27 . The toy of  claim 25 , further comprising a power supply contained in the body, the control circuitry responsive to sensed presence of light and liquid to selectively actuate the light assembly in a high power consumption mode and a low power consumption mode. 
   
   
       28 . The toy of  claim 25 , further comprising a water absorbing, resilient portion.