Interactive electronic toy

Abstract

An interactive electronic device is disclosed, wherein the device includes a body, a controller disposed within the body, a touch-screen input coupled with the body, wherein the touch-screen input includes a transparent viewing field, a display output coupled with the body, wherein the display output includes a transparent portion positioned within the viewing field of the touch-screen input, and a background disposed behind the touch-screen input and the display output, the background including activity content, wherein the controller is configured to accept an input from the touch-screen input and to control the display of an output on the transparent portion of the display output.

1 . An interactive electronic device, comprising: 
 a body;    a controller disposed within the body;    a touch-screen input coupled with the body, wherein the touch-screen input includes a transparent viewing field;    a display output coupled with the body, wherein the display output includes a transparent portion positioned within the viewing field of the touch-screen input; and    a background disposed behind the touch-screen input and the display output, the background including activity content, wherein the controller is configured to accept an input from the touch-screen input and to control the display of an output on the transparent portion of the display output.    
   
   
       2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the background is a printed medium, further comprising a printed media receptacle configured to receive the printed medium.  
   
   
       3 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the printed medium includes an identification code, further comprising a code detector associated with the printed media receptacle, wherein code detector is configured to read the identifying code on the printed medium when the printed medium is positioned in the printed media receptacle.  
   
   
       4 . The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the identification code is an optical code, and wherein the code detector is an optical code reader.  
   
   
       5 . The electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein the background is a book having a plurality of pages, and wherein each page includes a unique identifying code.  
   
   
       6 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the display output is a transparent liquid crystal display.  
   
   
       7 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent active portion of the display output is positioned adjacent a lower portion of the touch-screen input from a user's perspective.  
   
   
       8 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent portion of the display output is disposed in front of the touch-screen input from a user's perspective.  
   
   
       9 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent portion of the display output is disposed behind the touch-screen input from a user's perspective.  
   
   
       10 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a light coupled to the body, wherein the light is illuminated when the user makes a preselected input via the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       11 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of lights coupled to the body, wherein the plurality of lights are illuminated in a preselected pattern when the user makes a preselected input via the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       12 . An interactive electronic device, comprising: 
 a body;    a touch-screen input coupled with the body, wherein the touch-screen input includes a transparent portion;    a display output coupled with the body; and    a printed media receptacle disposed adjacent the touch-screen input, wherein printed media receptacle is configured to receive a printed medium and to position the printed medium relative to the touch-screen input such that an activity content portion of the printed medium is visible through the transparent portion of the touch-screen input.    
   
   
       13 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the display output is a liquid crystal display.  
   
   
       14 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the display output includes a transparent portion that at least partially overlaps the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       15 . The electronic device of  claim 14 , wherein the transparent portion of the display output overlaps a lower portion of the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       16 . The electronic device of  claim 14 , wherein the transparent portion of the display output is disposed in front of the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       17 . The electronic device of  claim 14 , wherein the transparent portion of the display output is disposed behind the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       18 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the printed medium includes an identification code, further comprising a code detector associated with the printed media receptacle, wherein code detector is configured to read the identifying code on the printed medium when the printed medium is inserted in the printed media receptacle.  
   
   
       19 . The electronic device of  claim 18 , wherein the identification code is an optical code, and wherein the code detector is an optical code reader.  
   
   
       20 . The electronic toy of  claim 12 , wherein the printed medium is a book having a plurality of pages, and wherein each page includes an identifying code.  
   
   
       21 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , further comprising a light coupled to the body, wherein the light is illuminated when the user makes a preselected input via the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       22 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of lights coupled to the body, wherein the plurality of lights are illuminated in a pattern when the user makes a preselected input via the touch-screen input.  
   
   
       23 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , further comprising an audio transducer coupled to the body, wherein the audio transducer is configured to output an audio signal.  
   
   
       24 . The electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein the audio transducer is selected from the group consisting of speakers and piezoelectric transducers.  
   
   
       25 . The electronic device of  claim 23 , further comprising a volume control coupled to the body, wherein the volume control includes a hollow interior, and wherein the audio transducer is disposed within the hollow interior of the volume control.  
   
   
       26 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , further comprising a memory cartridge receptacle disposed on the body.  
   
   
       27 . The electronic device of  claim 26 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle is formed in a front face of the body and is configured to accept a memory cartridge in such a manner that a major face of the memory cartridge faces outwardly toward a user.  
   
   
       28 . The electronic device of  claim 27 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle is configured to accept the memory cartridge in such a manner that the major face of the memory cartridge is positioned substantially flush with the front face of the body.  
   
   
       29 . The electronic device of  claim 27 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle has an asymmetrical perimeter.  
   
   
       30 . An interactive electronic toy, comprising: 
 a body;    a transparent touch-screen input coupled with the body;    a printed media receptacle disposed adjacent the touch-screen input, wherein the printed media receptacle is configured to receive a printed medium, the printed medium including an identification code that identifies the printed medium; and    a code detector associated with the printed media receptacle, wherein code detector is configured to read the identifying code on the printed medium when the printed medium is positioned in the printed media receptacle.    
   
   
       31 . The electronic toy of  claim 30 , wherein the identifying code is an optical code, and wherein the code detector is an optical code detector.  
   
   
       32 . The electronic toy of  claim 31 , wherein the optical code is a bar code.  
   
   
       33 . The electronic toy of  claim 30 , wherein the identifying code is a magnetic code, and wherein the code detector is a magnetic code detector.  
   
   
       34 . The electronic toy of  claim 30 , wherein the identifying code is an electronic code, and wherein the code detector is an electronic code detector.  
   
   
       35 . The electronic toy of  claim 30 , wherein the printed medium is a book having a plurality of pages, and wherein each page includes a unique identifying code.  
   
   
       36 . An interactive electronic toy configured to provide an audio output, the toy comprising: 
 a volume control operable by a user to control a volume of the audio output, the volume control having a hollow interior portion; and    an audio transducer positioned at least partially within an interior portion of the volume control, wherein the audio transducer is configured to output an audio signal through the volume control.    
   
   
       37 . The electronic device of  claim 36 , wherein the audio transducer is selected from the group consisting of speakers and piezoelectric transducers.  
   
   
       38 . The electronic device of  claim 36 , wherein the volume control is a knob that is turnable to adjust the volume of the audio output.  
   
   
       39 . An interactive electronic toy configured to receive an input from a memory cartridge and to display an output to a user, the memory cartridge including an operative major surface and an opposed non-operative major surface, each major surface being bordered by and separated from the other major surface by at least one edge, each major surface having a larger surface area than the at least one edge, the interactive toy comprising: 
 a body; and    a memory cartridge receptacle associated with the body and configured to receive the memory cartridge in such a manner that the operative major surface of the memory cartridge is positioned against a bottom surface of the memory device receptacle and the non-operative face is positioned outwardly toward the user.    
   
   
       40 . The interactive electronic toy of  claim 39 , wherein the body includes a front surface, and wherein the memory cartridge receptacle is formed in the front surface of the body.  
   
   
       41 . The interactive electronic toy of  claim 39 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle includes an asymmetrical perimeter.  
   
   
       42 . The interactive electronic toy of  claim 39 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle includes an electrical contact configured to connect to a complementary electrical contact on the memory cartridge when the memory cartridge is positioned in the memory cartridge receptacle.  
   
   
       43 . The interactive electronic toy of  claim 42 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle includes a bottom surface, and wherein the electrical contact is disposed on the bottom surface of the memory cartridge receptacle.  
   
   
       44 . The interactive electronic toy of  claim 42 , wherein the memory cartridge receptacle includes a side surface, and wherein the electrical contact is disposed on the side surface of the memory cartridge receptacle.