Programmable toy sound module

Abstract

A toy assembly capable of sound playback and other electronic animations comprising an electrical housing portion of a toy assembly having a sound module receptacle with an external facing access port where said sound module receptacle is communicable with a sound playback system. The invention can include a sound module having a programmable electronic storage medium and controller function operable to control receipt and storage of sound data to the electronic storage medium and control transmission of sound data. Receipt of the sound data can be through a first connector interfaceable with a personal computing system and where transmission of sound data can be through a second connector interfaceable with said sound module receptacle. The toy assembly can be such that the electrical housing portion can be part of a chassis of toy vehicle.

1 . A toy assembly capable of sound playback and other electronic functions comprising:
 a controller function integral with a toy assembly, where said toy assembly having a sound module receptacle accessible external with respect to said toy assembly and an electronic actuation function where said controller function has a communicable link to said sound module receptacle and adapted to retrieve and interpret data signals transmitted through the sound module receptacle from the sound module and where said controller is communicable with the electronic actuation function and adapted to initiate an electronic function responsive to an actuation of the electronic actuation function and based on interpretation by the controller function of the data signals; and   a sound module having a programmable electronic storage medium, a module connector and operable to receive data through the module connector and store data to the electronic storage medium and to transmit data signals from the storage medium through the module connector, where said control signals are based on data stored in the storage medium, and where said module connector is removably connected with said sound module receptacle and connectable with a communication port of personal computing system.   
     
     
         2 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , where the communication port of the personal computing system and the sound module receptacle are USB type connectors. 
     
     
         3 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , where the electronic function is one function selected from a group of functions consisting light flashing function, audible sound emission function, and movement function. 
     
     
         4 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , where the sound module receptacle is positioned in an external recessed area of the toy assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , where the toy assembly includes an actuator which is adapted to send an actuation signal to the module controller prompting the module controller to transmit a signal to the electronic function for initiation. 
     
     
         6 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , where the electronic storage medium of the module has stored there on control data for controlling light flashing, audible sound emission, and movement functions. 
     
     
         7 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an accessory including an accessory playback system controller integral with the accessory, said accessory having an accessory sound module receptacle accessible external to said accessory and an accessory electronic function where said accessory playback system controller has a communicable link to said accessory sound module receptacle adapted to retrieve and interpret data signals transmitted through the accessory sound module receptacle where said accessory playback system controller is communicable with the accessory electronic function and adapted to initiate said accessory electronic function; and   an accessory sound module having an accessory programmable electronic storage medium, an accessory module connector and an accessory module controller function operable to control receipt of data through the accessory module connector and storage of data to the accessory electronic storage medium and control transmission of data from the accessory storage medium and transmission of accessory control signals through the accessory module connector, where said accessory control signals are based on data stored in the accessory storage medium and are operable to initiate operation of the accessory electronic function, and where said accessory module connector is removably connected with said accessory sound module receptacle and connectable with the communication port of personal computing system.   
     
     
         8 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 7 , where the accessory electronic function is one function selected from a group of functions consisting a light flashing function, audible sound emission function, audio output function and movement function. 
     
     
         9 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 8 , where the audio output function is communicably linked to an audio output connector accessible external said accessory by a headphone jack and said audio output function operable to transmit an audio output signal to said connector. 
     
     
         10 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 9 , where the toy assembly is a toy vehicle and the accessory is a trailer hitched to said toy vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 9 , where the toy assembly and the accessory each have separate power sources. 
     
     
         12 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 9 , where the movement function is movement of the toy vehicle by initiating wheel rotation. 
     
     
         13 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 1 , where the audible sound emission function is the emission of one audible sound simulating a sound selected from a group of sounds consisting of a horn sound, siren sound and engine sound. 
     
     
         14 . A toy assembly capable of sound playback and other electronic functions comprising:
 a sound module having a programmable electronic storage medium, a module connector and operable to receive data through the module connector and store data to the electronic storage medium and to transmit data signals from the storage medium through the module connector, where said control signals are based on data stored in the storage medium, and where said module connector is removably connectable with a sound module receptacle of a toy assembly and connectable with a communication port of personal computing system; and   a controller function integral with the sound module, where said toy assembly having a sound module receptacle accessible external with respect to said toy assembly and said toy assembly having an electronic actuation function where said controller function has a communicable link to said sound module receptacle and adapted to retrieve and interpret data signals on the sound module from the sound module electronic storage medium and where said controller is communicable with the electronic actuation function and adapted to initiate an electronic function responsive to an actuation of the electronic actuation function and based on interpretation by the controller function of the data signals.   
     
     
         15 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising an accessory having a communicable sound module interface and a communicable personal computing device interface for connectivity between the personal computer and the sound module. 
     
     
         16 . The toy assembly as recited in  claim 15 , where the communicable sound module interface and the communicable personal computing device interface is wireless. 
     
     
         17 . A method of utilizing a data module with a toy assembly comprising the steps of:
 connecting electronically a data module having a programmable electronic storage medium and a data module controller to a personal computing system;   uploading data from the personal computing system to and storing to the programmable electronic storage medium of the data module;   connecting electronically the data module to a toy assembly having a toy assembly controller and an electronic function; and   actuating selectively an actuator of the toy assembly, where said actuator is electronically connected to the toy assembly controller, selectively actuating the controller to retrieve data from the data module, interpreting the data with the controller, and initiating operation of the electronic function with the toy assembly controller based on the interpreted data.   
     
     
         18 . The method of utilizing a data module with a toy assembly as recited in  claim 17 , where initiating operation of the electronic function is initiation of a function selected from a group consisting of light flashing, audible sound emission, and movement functions. 
     
     
         19 . The method of utilizing a data module with a toy assembly as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 connecting electronically an accessory data module having a accessory programmable electronic storage medium and an accessory data module controller to the personal computing system;   uploading accessory data from the personal computing system to and storing to the accessory programmable electronic storage medium of the accessory data module;   connecting electronically the accessory data module to an accessory having an accessory controller and an accessory electronic function; and   actuating selectively an accessory actuator of the accessory, where said accessory actuator is electronically connected to the accessory controller, selectively actuating the accessory controller to retrieve accessory data from the accessory data module, interpreting the accessory data with the accessory controller, and initiating operation of the accessory electronic function with the accessory connecting electronically a data module having a programmable electronic storage medium and a data module controller to a personal computing system;   uploading data from the personal computing system to and storing to the programmable electronic storage medium of the data module;   connecting electronically the data module to a toy assembly having a toy assembly controller and an electronic function; and   actuating selectively an actuator of the toy assembly, where said actuator is electronically connected to the toy assembly controller, selectively actuating the controller to retrieve data from the data module, interpreting the data with the controller, and initiating operation of the electronic function with the toy assembly controller based on the interpreted data controller based on the interpreted data.   
     
     
         20 . The method of utilizing a data module with a toy assembly as recited in  claim 19 , where initiating the accessory electronic function is initiation of an accessory function selected from a group consisting light flashing, audible sound emission, audio output and movement functions. 
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 20 , where the audio output function is communicably linked to an audio output connector accessible external said accessory by a headphone jack and said audio output function operable to transmit an audio output signal to said connector. 
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , where the toy assembly is a toy vehicle and the accessory is a trailer hitched to said toy vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22 , where the toy assembly and the accessory each have separate power sources. 
     
     
         24 . A method of utilizing a data module with a toy assembly comprising the steps of:
 connecting electronically a data module having a programmable electronic storage medium to a personal computing system;   uploading data from the personal computing system to and storing to the programmable electronic storage medium of the data module;   connecting electronically the data module to a toy assembly having a toy assembly controller and an electronic function; and   actuating selectively an actuator of the toy assembly, where said actuator is electronically connected to the toy assembly controller, selectively actuating the controller to retrieve data from the data module, interpreting the data with the controller, and initiating operation of the electronic function with the toy assembly controller based on the interpreted data.   
     
     
         25 . The method of utilizing a data module as recited in  claim 24 , where connecting the data module to the personal computing system is wirelessly connecting to the personal computer by way of the toy assembly having wireless connectivity with the personal computer.