"Electronic Musical Puzzle"

Abstract

The invention relates generally to the field of electronic toys and particularly to toys for blind and visually impaired children. The specification discloses an electronic musical puzzle for blind or visually impaired children comprising an electronic deck featuring a plurality of ordered slots and one special “reader slot” into which any of a plurality of blocks may be placed. Each block contains a remote electronic identifier (e.g. an RFID tag) that the deck is capable of reading. When a block is placed in the “reader slot”, a unique tone, musical phrase, or sound recording associated with the particular block is played back. The same sound is played back when the block is placed in its unique correct slot and then pressed down. To solve the puzzle, the child must place each block in its correct slot. Once the puzzle is solved in this way, the child may selectively play back each sound by pressing on a block of choice. In embodiments where each bock represents a single tone, the child can then play the blocks like an electronic keyboard.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An electronic toy especially useful for blind and visually impaired children comprising:
 a plurality of game pieces, each game piece having an electronic identifier;   an electronic deck having a plurality of ordered slots and at least one reader slot into which any of a plurality of game pieces may be received; and   a reader circuit disposed in the electronic deck for:
 responsive to receiving a game piece in the reader slot, producing an audible unique tone, musical phrase, or sound recording associated with the received block; and 
 responsive to receiving a game piece in a corresponding ordered slot, and responsive to downward pressure applied the game piece, producing said audible unique tone, musical phrase, or sound recording; 
   wherein, a user may solve a puzzle by placing each game piece in the reader slot, identifying the tone, musical phrase, or sound recording produced, and then moving each game piece into its corresponding ordered slot, thereby enabling the user to selectively play back each unique tone, musical phrase, or sound recording by pressing on each game piece of choice.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic toy as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the electronic identifier comprises a radio frequency identification device. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic toy as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the ordered slots are arranged in a muscial scale. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic toy as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the musical scale represents an arrangement according to a keyboard instrument. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic toy as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the reader circuit is further for, responsive to receiving a game piece in a non-corresponding ordered slot, producing an audible error tone, error musical phrase, or error sound recording. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic toy as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of game pieces comprise block-shaped game pieces.