Doll system with resonant recognition

Abstract

A doll system is disclosed that may detect objects or accessories that are proximate to the body of the doll. The system may differentiate between a plurality of accessories and generate sounds that are appropriate for the specific accessory. The doll body may have a sensor circuit with an inductor connected to a processor. The accessory may include a tank circuit. A drive signal in the sensor circuit may activate the tank circuit to generate a signal with a frequency. The tank signal circuit may generate a characteristic signal in the sensor circuit that is detected by the processor. An audio file may be selected from memory based on the characteristics of the detected signal.

1 . A doll system for associating accessories with a doll comprising: 
 a first doll accessory including an electronic circuit operable to produce an inductive return signal having a first frequency in response to a received inductive drive signal;    a doll including: 
 a doll body;  
 a first sensor circuit mounted on the doll body and having a first input, a first output, and a first inductor, the first sensor circuit for transmitting inductively from the first inductor a first drive signal received on the first input, and outputting on the first output a first return signal received inductively on the first inductor;  
 a second sensor circuit mounted on the doll body, and having a second input, a second output, and a second inductor, the second sensor circuit for transmitting inductively from the second inductor a second drive signal received on the second input, and outputting on the second output a second return signal received inductively on the second inductor;  
 a drive circuit for producing the first and second drive signals;  
 an output device adapted to produce a sensible output in response to an output signal; and  
 a controller mounted to the doll body and coupled to the first and second sensor circuits and the drive circuit, selectively applying the first and second drive signals to the respective first and second inputs of the respective first and second sensor circuits; detecting on the first and second outputs of the respective first and second sensor circuits, the respective first and second return signals; determining if the return signal has a frequency that is the first frequency; and sending the output signal to the output device on determining that the return signal frequency is the first frequency.  
   
   
   
       2 . The doll system of  claim 1  further including a second doll accessory including an electronic circuit operable to produce an inductive return signal having a second frequency in response to a received inductive drive signal and wherein the return signal frequency in the first sensor circuit is: 
 the first frequency when the first return signal is received from the first doll accessory circuit; and    a second frequency when the second return signal is received from the second doll accessory circuit.    
   
   
       3 . The doll system of  claim 2  wherein the doll further includes memory operatively connected to the controller for storing a first audio file associated with the first frequency and a second audio file associated with the second frequency, the output device is a speaker, and the controller, in response to determining a return signal frequency is the first or second frequency, selects the audio file associated with the determined return signal frequency from memory, and sends the selected audio file to the speaker as an acoustic signal.  
   
   
       4 . The doll system of  claim 2  wherein the return signal frequency in the second sensor circuit is: 
 a third frequency when produced in response to a received third inductive return signal generated in response to the inductive drive signal activating the first doll accessory circuit; and    a fourth frequency when produced in response to a received fourth inductive return signal generated in response to the inductive drive signal activating the second doll accessory circuit.    
   
   
       5 . The doll system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second inductors have different inductance values.  
   
   
       6 . The doll system of  claim 1  wherein the first inductor is physically spaced from and substantially inductively uncoupled from the second inductor.  
   
   
       7 . The doll system of  claim 6  wherein the doll has a mouth and a hand and the first inductor is near the mouth and the second inductor is near the hand.  
   
   
       8 . The doll system of  claim 1  wherein the controller includes a drive signal generator, the doll further including a switching mechanism controlled by the controller and mounted to the doll body to selectively connect the drive signal generator to the first and second sensor circuits.  
   
   
       9 . The doll system of  claim 1  wherein the first drive signal is generated by a square-wave pulse in the first inductor having a duration appropriate to generate the inductive return signal from the first doll accessory circuit.  
   
   
       10 . The doll system of  claim 1  wherein the first drive signal includes an alternating current having a frequency.  
   
   
       11 . A method of generating an output signal in a doll comprising: 
 inductively transmitting a first drive signal from a first transceiver circuit located in a doll body;    inductively receiving the transmitted first drive signal in a first transponder circuit of a first doll accessory spaced from the doll body;    inductively transmitting from the first transponder circuit a first response signal in response to the received first drive signal;    inductively receiving the first response signal in the first transceiver circuit;    determining if the first response signal has a first frequency;    inductively transmitting a second drive signal in a second transceiver circuit located in the doll body;    inductively receiving the transmitted second drive signal in a second transponder circuit of a second doll accessory spaced from the doll body;    inductively transmitting from the second transponder circuit a second response signal in response to the received second drive signal;    inductively receiving the second response signal in the second transceiver circuit;    determining if the second response signal has a second frequency; and    generating a first sensible output from the doll body if the first response signal has the first frequency; and    generating a second sensible output from the doll body, different than the first output, if the second response signal has the second frequency.    
   
   
       12 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 11  wherein transmitting the first and second drive signals includes transmitting the first and second drive signals at different times.  
   
   
       13 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 11  wherein receiving the first and second response signals includes receiving the first and second response signals from different parts of the doll body.  
   
   
       14 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 11  further comprising producing a resonating signal in first and second transponder circuits that each includes an inductor and a capacitor on inductively receiving the drive signal.  
   
   
       15 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 11  further including storing a plurality of audio files in a memory in the doll, and generating a first and second sensible output includes selecting respective audio files associated with the first and second sensible outputs.  
   
   
       16 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 15  wherein selecting an audio file includes selecting an audio file based at least in part on the frequency of the received response signal.  
   
   
       17 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 11  wherein transmitting the first and second drive signals includes transmitting the first and second drive signals as square-wave pulses.  
   
   
       18 . The method of generating a doll signal of  claim 11  wherein transmitting the first and second drive signals includes transmitting the first and second drive signals as alternating currents having respective frequencies.  
   
   
       19 . An accessory identification system for a doll comprising: 
 a doll accessory including a circuit configured to generate a current signal with a given frequency in the circuit and to transmit an inductive response signal with the given frequency on receiving a transmitted inductive drive signal; and    a doll including: 
 a doll body; 
 a controller with: 
 a processor for executing software commands;  
 memory for storing files and software commands;  
 a signal analysis circuit for determining the frequency of  
 a response signal; and  
 a drive signal circuit for generating a drive signal;  
 
 a first inductor operably connected to the controller to generate: 
 a first inductive signal on receiving a first drive signal from the controller; and  
 a first response signal with a first frequency on receiving an inductive response signal having the first frequency; and  
 
 a second inductor operably connected to the controller to generate: 
 a second inductive signal on receiving a second drive signal from the controller; and  
 a second response signal with a second frequency on receiving an inductive response signal having the second frequency; and  
 
 an output device for producing a sensible output in response to an output signal;  
 wherein the processor selects a first file from memory and sends a first output signal representative of the first file to the output device on the signal analysis circuit detecting a first frequency in a response signal; and  
 the processor selects a second file from memory and sends a second output signal representative of the second file to the output device on the signal analysis circuit detecting a second frequency in a response signal.  
 
   
   
   
       20 . The accessory identification system of  claim 19  wherein the first inductor is physically spaced on the doll body and inductively uncoupled from the second conductor.