US006544098B1

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,544,098 B1

Hampton et al. (45) Date of Patent: *Apr. 8, 2003

(54) INTERACTIVE TOY 4,516,950 A 5/1985 Berman et al.

4,591,248 A 5/1986 Freeman
(75) Inventors: David Mark Hampton, Nevada City, 4,654,659 A 3/1987 KQbO
CA (US); Caleb Chung, Boise, ID 4,659,919 A 4/1987 Pm
(Us) (List continued on next page.)
(73) Assignee: Hasbro, Inc., PaWtucket, RI (US) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

( * ) Notice: patent
Subjectistoextended
any disclaimer,
or adJusted
the term
under
of this
35 W0 W033222
9603190 21
A1 2/1996
U-S-C- 154(b) by 0 days~ W0 WO 97/41936 11/1997
This patent is subject to a terminal dis- Prim/1")’ Exami'fer—Der_ris H- Banks
Claimm Assistant Examzner—Al1 AbdelWahed
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Michael, Best & Friedrich,
(21) Appl. No.: 09/425,773 LLC
(22) Filed: Oct. 22, 1999 (57) ABSTRACT
A very compact interactive toy is provided that provides
Related US. Application Data highly life-like and intelligent seeming interaction With the
user thereof. The toy can take the form of a small animal-like
(62) Division of application No. 09/211,101, ?led on Dec. 15, creature having a variety of moving body parts that have
1998, now Pat. No. 6,149,490.
very precisely controlled and coordinated movements
(51) Int. C].7 ................................................ .. A63H 3/28 thereof 50 as to provide the toy with life-like mannerisms,
(52) US. Cl. ...................... .. 446/301; 446/353; 446/298 The toy utilizes sensors for detecting sensory inputs Which
(58) Field of Search ............................... .. 446/301, 298, dictate the movements of the body parts in response to the
446/299, 300, 303, 330, 337, 352, 353, sensed inputs. The sensors also alloW several of the toys to
354, 175 interact With each other. The body parts are driven for
movement by a single motor Which is relatively small in
(56) References Cited terms of its power requirements given the large number of
different movements that it poWers. In addition, the motor is
US‘ PATENT DOCUMENTS reversible so that the body parts can be moved in a non
3,638,351 A 2/1972 Kosicki et a1_ cyclic life-like manner. For space conservation, a cam
3,755,960 A 9/1973 Tepper et al. operating mechanism is provided that is very compact With
3,912,694 A 10/1975 Chiappe et al- the cam mechanisms for the parts all operated off of a single
4,139,968 A 2/1979 Milnef small control shaft of the cam operating mechanism, e.g.
2 ganlfman et ‘11' approximately one inch in length, driven for rotation by the
7 7 0 '

4,249,338 A 2/1981 Wezlder Smgle’ low power motor‘

4 267 606 A 5 1981 Stelter et al.
4,318,245 A 3/1982 Stowell et al. 7 Claims’ 42 Drawing Sheets
4,375,106 A 2/1983 Voll
4,439,161 A 3/1984 Wiggins et al. Micro?che Appendix Included
4,451,911 A 5/1984 Klose et al. (4 Micro?che, 297 Pages)
 US 6,544,098 B1
Page 2

US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,011,449 4/1991 Handy et a1.

5,267,886 12/1993 Wood et al.
4,673,371 6/1987 Furukawa 5,279,514 1/1994 Lacombe et a1.
4,675,519 6/1987 Price 5,281,180 1/1994 Lam et a1.
4,696,653 9/1987 McKeefery 5,288,069 2/1994 Matsumoto
4,717,364 1/1988 Furukawa 5,324,225 6/1994 Satoh et a1.
4,740,186 4/1988 Sirota 5,375,839 12/1994 Pagani
4,754,133 6/1988 Bleich 5,376,038 12/1994 Arad et al.
4,799,171 1/1989 Cummings 5,468,172 11/1995 Basile
4,802,879 2/1989 Rissman et a1. 5,471,192 11/1995 Dash
4,809,335 2/1989 Rumsey 5,636,994 6/1997 Tong
4,840,602 6/1989 Rose 5,700,178 12/1997 Cimerman et al.
4,850,930 7/1989 Sato et a1. 5,816,885 10/1998 Goldman et a1.
4,857,030 8/1989 Rose 6,110,000 8/2000 Ting ......................... .. 446/302
4,864,607 9/1989 Mitamura et al. 6,149,490 11/2000 Hampton et a1.
4,900,289 2/1990 May et a1. 6,309,275 10/2001 Fong et a1. ............... .. 446/297
4,923,428 5/1990 Curran
4,949,327 8/1990 Forsse et a1. * cited by examiner
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FIG. 86
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FIG. 2|
U.S. Patent Apr. 8,2003 Sheet 15 0f 42 US 6,544,098 B1

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