Interactive Toy

Abstract

A display device is operable to be superimposed with at least one region of a doll and to generate an interactive virtual representation thereof. The virtual representation may be an animated simulation of the overlaid region of the doll such that it appears that the display device is a virtual window through which the doll is being viewed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An interactive toy comprising:
 a doll having at least one region; and   a display device having a display for displaying a virtual representation of the region when the display device is superimposed with the region.   
     
     
         2 . The interactive toy of  claim 1 , wherein the doll is an anthropomorphic character. 
     
     
         3 . The interactive toy of  claim 1 , wherein the region includes at least one of: a facial region and an upper thoracic region. 
     
     
         4 . The interactive toy of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual representation is responsive to user interaction with the display. 
     
     
         5 . The interactive toy of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual representation consists of a plurality of zones, each zone having at least one of: an active response and a passive response to user interaction therewith. 
     
     
         6 . The interactive toy of  claim 5 , wherein the active response is selected from a plurality of active responses, each active response associated with user interaction comprising at least one of: a user touch-and-drag motion, a user touch-drag-and-release motion, a user-touch motion and a user touch-and-release motion. 
     
     
         7 . The interactive toy of  claim 5 , wherein the passive response is selected from a plurality of passive responses associated with a lack of user interaction. 
     
     
         8 . The interactive toy of  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises:
 a processor coupled to the display, the processor generating the virtual representation; and   a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing a plurality of images;   wherein the virtual representation is generated by selectively displaying the plurality of images.   
     
     
         9 . The interactive toy of  claim 1 , wherein the response of the virtual representation to user interaction therewith is a non-vector based response. 
     
     
         10 . A display device for use with an anthropomorphic doll having at least one region, the display device having a display means, a processor, and a memory for storing a set of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the display device to perform the following steps:
 display a virtual representation of the region when the display device is superimposed with the region;   wherein the virtual representation of the region is responsive to user interaction with the display means.