Electronic toy and methods of interacting therewith

Abstract

Electronic toys and methods of interacting with electronic toys are provided, in which the electronic toys include a body defining an interior and an opening into the interior plus a prize removably located in the interior and accessible through the opening. A controller is configured to: make the prize inaccessible through the opening; output instructions to make the prize accessible; receive input in response to the instructions; determine whether the input satisfies a predetermined criterion; and make the prize accessible again through the opening when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion.

1 . An electronic toy comprising:
 a body defining an interior adapted to receive a prize and an opening into the interior; and   a controller configured to:
 make the interior inaccessible through the opening; 
 output instructions; 
 receive input in response to the instructions; 
 determine whether the input satisfies a predetermined criterion; and 
 make the interior accessible again through the opening when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion. 
   
   
   
       2 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a motion sensor, wherein the input includes output from the motion sensor. 
   
   
       3 . The electronic toy of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to accumulate the output from the motion sensor into a cumulative motion datum, and wherein determining whether the input satisfies the predetermined criterion includes comparing the cumulative motion datum to a predetermined threshold. 
   
   
       4 . The electronic toy of  claim 3 , wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect a direction of motion. 
   
   
       5 . The electronic toy of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to output instructions to move the electronic toy. 
   
   
       6 . The electronic toy of  claim 5 , further comprising a first speaker on one side of the toy and a second speaker on another side of the toy, wherein the instructions to move the electronic toy include audio that is output first from the first speaker and then from the second speaker. 
   
   
       7 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the input includes output from the temperature sensor. 
   
   
       8 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a light sensor, wherein the input includes output from the light sensor. 
   
   
       9 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to output a virtual character on a display and to control the virtual character based on signals received from one or more user controls. 
   
   
       10 . The electronic toy of  claim 9 , wherein the prize is an object that resembles the virtual character. 
   
   
       11 . The electronic toy of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to remove the virtual character from the display, indicating that the interior is no longer accessible through the opening. 
   
   
       12 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a rumble mechanism configured to rumble the electronic toy when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion. 
   
   
       13 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a light, wherein the controller is configured to illuminate the light when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion. 
   
   
       14 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker, wherein the controller is configured to output audio through the speaker when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion. 
   
   
       15 . The electronic toy of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second compartments located within the interior, the electronic toy being alterable between a nominal configuration where the first compartment is accessible through the opening and the second compartment is inaccessible, and an active configuration where the second compartment is accessible through the opening and the first compartment is inaccessible.   
   
   
       16 . The electronic toy of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a drawer that moves through the opening relative to the body; and   a separator that moves relative to the drawer and separates the first and second compartments;   wherein the separator is secured to the drawer when the electronic toy is in the nominal configuration and the separator is secured to the body when the electronic toy is in the active configuration.   
   
   
       17 . The electronic toy of  claim 16 , further comprising a motor that is operated by the controller to secure the separator to the drawer when the electronic toy is in the nominal configuration and to secure the separator to the body when the electronic toy is in the active configuration. 
   
   
       18 . The electronic toy of  claim 15 , further comprising a prize sensor adapted to detect whether the prize is contained within the first compartment, and wherein the controller is further configured to prevent alteration of the electronic toy from the nominal configuration to the active configuration when the prize is not within the first compartment. 
   
   
       19 . The electronic toy of  claim 15 , wherein the first compartment is, when the electronic toy is in the nominal configuration, substantially similar in size and shape to the second compartment when the electronic toy is in the active configuration. 
   
   
       20 . A method of interacting with an electronic toy to access a prize contained within a body of the toy, the body defining an interior and an opening into the interior, the method comprising:
 placing the prize in the interior to be accessible through the opening;   altering the toy to make the prize inaccessible through the opening;   outputting instructions;   receiving input in response to the instructions;   determining whether the input satisfies a predetermined criterion; and   altering the toy when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion to make the prize accessible.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein altering the toy to make the prize inaccessible includes altering first and second compartments contained within the interior from a nominal configuration, where the first compartment is accessible through the opening and the second compartment is inaccessible, to an active configuration where the second compartment is accessible through the opening and the first compartment is inaccessible; and
 wherein altering the toy to make the prize accessible includes altering the first and second compartments from the active configuration to the nominal configuration.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein receiving input further comprises detecting movement of the toy. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein determining whether the input satisfies the predetermined criterion includes accumulating the detected movement of the toy into a cumulative datum and comparing the cumulative datum to a predetermined threshold. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein outputting instructions includes displaying instructions on a display to move the toy. 
   
   
       25 . An electronic toy, comprising:
 a body defining an interior and an opening into the interior;   a display;   first and second compartments located within the interior;   a plush doll removably positionable in the first compartment; and   a controller operably coupled to the display and configured to:
 alter the toy from a nominal configuration, where the first compartment is accessible through the opening and the second compartment is inaccessible, to an active configuration, where the second compartment is accessible through the opening and the first compartment is inaccessible; 
 output instructions on the display; 
 receive input in response to the instructions; 
 determine whether the input satisfies a predetermined criterion; and 
 alter the toy from the active configuration back to the nominal configuration when the input satisfies the predetermined criterion so that the plush doll is once again visible and accessible through the opening. 
   
   
   
       26 . The electronic toy of  claim 25 , further comprising a motion sensor, wherein the input includes output from the motion sensor.