Toy which moves in synchronization with an audio source

Claim 2

A toy which produces sound in response to audio signals recorded on a cassette tape and which moves in response to data signals on the cassette tape, comprising: a body; cassette tape player means mounted to the body and having an audio channel and a data channel, the tape player means comprising means for playing audio signals from the cassette tape on the audio channel and for playing data signals from the cassette tape on the data channel; speaker circuit means in the body and coupled to the audio channel for receiving the audio signals and producing sound in response to the audio signals; the body having a first body part which is movable relative to the rest of the body; decoder circuit means coupled to the data channel for receiving the data signals and for producing an output of drive signals in response to the data signals; first drive means having an input coupled to the decoder circuit means for receiving the drive signals, the first drive means comprising means for moving the first body part in response to the drive signals.

Claim 3

A toy according to claim l in which the decoder circuit means includes means for detecting audio signals on the data channel and for blocking the operation of the first drive means upon the detection of such audio signals.

Claim 4

A toy according to claim l in which the cassette tape includes prerecorded address signals and the tape player means comprises means for playing the address signals on the data channel, the speaker circuit means including muting means for selectively muting sound from the speaker circuit means in response to muting control signals, the toy including at least one satellite character having an address designated by the address signals; the decoder circuit means comprising means for receiving the address signals and including muting control means coupled to the muting means for selectively delivering muting control signals to the muting means upon detection of the satellite character address.

Claim 5

A toy according to claim 3 in which the cassette tape includes prerecorded satellite data signals and the tape player comprises means for playing the satellite data signals on the data channel, and in which the satellite character has a satellite body with at least one satellite body part which is movable relative to the satellite body, the satellite character having a satellite decoder circuit means coupled to the data channel for detecting the addressing of the satellite character, the satellite character having first satellite drive means with an input coupled to the satellite decoder circuit mean for receiving satellite data signals from the data channel when the satellite character is addressed, the satellite first drive means comprising means for moving the first satellite body part in response to the satellite drive signals.

Claim 6

A toy according to claim l in which the data signals comprise frequency modulated data words prerecorded on the cassette tape, the decoder circuit means including data word detection means for detecting the data words in the data signal and for producing the drive signals in response to the detected data words.

Claim 7

A toy according to claim 5 in which the decoder circuit means includes synchronization signal generator means for synchronizing the data signals, digital retriggerable monostable circuit means for converting the data signals to an output of word bits, shift register means coupled to the word bit output for storing data words therein, the synchronization signal generator means including clocking means for clocking word bits into the shift register means, the shift register means having shift register outputs representing the word bits therein, data word detector circuit means coupled to the shift register outputs for determining the presence of data words in the shift register from such outputs, and data latch means controlled by the data word detector means and coupled to the shift register outputs for producing drive signals which correspond to the data words in the shift register.

Claim 8

A toy according to claim 6 in which the data signals include frequency modulated address words prerecorded on the cassette tape, the decoder having address word detector circuit means coupled to the shift register outputs for determining the presence of address words in the shift register, and status latch means controlled by the address word detector means and coupled to the shift register outputs for producing first and second status latch output signals which correspond to the address words in the shift register, the speaker circuit means including muting means for selectively muting sound from the speaker circuit means in response to muting control signals, the status latch means being coupled to the muting means for delivery of the first status latch output signals to the muting means as the muting control signals, the status latch means being coupled to the data word detector circuit means for delivery of the second status latch output signals to the data word detector means, the data word detector means comprising means for selectively blocking the delivery of drive signals from the data latch means in response to the second status latch output signals.

Claim 9

A toy according to claim 7 in which the parity of the words of the prerecorded data signals is a first value, the toy including parity circuit means having inputs coupled to the shift register outputs, the parity circuit means having an output coupled to the data word detector circuit means and to the address detector circuit means, the parity circuit means comprising means for evaluating the parity of the shift register outputs received at the parity circuit means inputs and for producing an output signal which blocks the data word detector circuit means and address detector circuit means from detecting data and address words when the evaluated parity differs from the first value.

Claim 10

A toy according to any preceding claim in which the body has a second body part which is movable relative to the rest of the body, the toy including second drive means having an input coupled to the decoder circuit means for receiving the drive signals, the second drive means comprising means for moving the second body part in response to the drive signals.

Claim 11

l0. A toy according to any preceding claim in which the first body part is pivoted to the body for pivoting about a first pivot axis, the first drive means including lever means projecting from the pivot and within the body, the lever means having a rack positioned such that driving the rack about the first pivot axis moves the first body part relative to the body, the drive mechanism including a motor with a pivotable motor shaft, the motor being responsive to the drive signals to pivot the motor shaft in either direction, a first pulley mounted to the motor shaft, a drive shaft pivoted to the body, a second pulley mounted to the drive shaft, a drive belt for drivingly interconnecting the first and second pulleys such that the second pulley and drive shaft pivot as the motor shaft pivots, and a drive gear mounted to the drive shaft and positioned to engage the rack, whereby as the drive shaft pivots, the drive gear rack and first body part move.

Claim 12

A toy according to claim l0 in which the rack includes first and second stops positioned to engage the drive gear to limit the travel of the lever portion and thereby the motion of the first body part.

Claim 13

A toy which moves and produces sound in response to audio and data signals on respective audio and data channels from a source of such signals, comprising: a body; audio circuit means within the body and coupled to the audio channel for receiving the audio signals and producing sound in response to he received audio signals; the body having at least one body part which is movable relative to the rest of the body; decoder circuit means coupled to the data channel for receiving the data signals and for producing an output of drive signals in response to the data signals; and first drive means having an input coupled to the decoder circuit means for receiving the drive signals, the first drive means comprising means for moving the first body part in response to the drive signals.

Claim 14

A toy which moves and produces sound in response to audio and data signals on respective audio and data channels from a source of such signals, comprising: a body; audio circuit means within the body and coupled to the audio channel for receiving the audio signals and producing sound in response to he received audio signals; the body having at least one body part which is movable relative to the rest of the body; decoder circuit means coupled to the data channel for receiving the data signals and for producing an output of drive signals in response to the data signals; and first drive means having an input coupled to the decoder circuit means for receiving the drive signals, the first drive means comprising means for moving the first body part in response to the drive signals.

Claim 15

A cassette tape for a toy which moves and produces sound in response to audio and data signals on respective audio and data channels of the tape, the data signals being recorded as frequency modulated signals.

Claim 16

A cassette tape for a toy which moves and produces sound in response to audio and data signals on respective audio and data channels of the tape, the data signals being recorded as frequency modulated signals.

Claim 17

A cassette tape according to claim l3 in which the data signals are recorded in data words on the data channel and in which a blank word is recorded between each data word.