Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sound generating toy glove. In this specification, the term glove includes other forms of handwear such as mitten.

Background of the Invention Toys which have good play value are those toys which give variation and freedom for imagination and creativity. It is common among children's games, and in particular among boys' games to act a role in the context of physical activity. Thus play value is obtained when the toy interfaces well with the child's activity, that is, by adding to and enhancing the activity without any hindrance.

In games where the child is emulating an activity seen in daily life or on television, sound is often linked to the physical activity. An example is a crying doll or toy rifle which produces sounds assisting the child to engage further in his or her imaginary activity or play. Summary of the Invention

In the present invention, it has been discovered that a sound generating or producing glove has good play value. For games or physical activities in which the use of the hands plays a role, sounds generated by hand movement or hand actuation are advantageous.

Accordingly it is the object of the present invention to provide a toy glove which generates a sound in response to movement of the glove during play.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a toy glove which generates a sound in response to a finger or thumb actuated switch. According to the invention, there is provided a toy glove comprising means for generating a sound in response to a signal, the generating means being attached to the glove, and means for producing the signal in response to at least one of hand movement and contact against the glove, the signal producing means being contained by the glove.

The sound generating means can comprise an electronic digital sound playback device. Such as device, as is known in the art, has a digitally encoded sound, sound effect, voice or music stored in memory which is regenerated by a microprocessor and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for playback on a speaker. Such a device can be contained on a single integrated circuit or chip. The sound generating means can also comprise electro¬ mechanical sound or noise generators, as well as small analog or digital recording playback devices such as magnetic tape or disk. The sound generating means are attached to the glove for movement with the glove during play. Therefore, lightweight and compactness are desirable. Preferably, the sound playback device is sewn into the inside of the cuff of a glove, in the case that the glove has a sufficiently large cuff. If the glove has no cuff, it is preferred to attach the device to the outside of the back of the hand of the glove. It is important that the glove interferes as little as possible with the game or games for which it is designed.

The signal producing means can comprise a variety of electrical device or circuits for signaling that the sound is desired as a result of hand movement or contact against the glove. The hand movement can be static or dynamic, that is, the signal is produced either by placing the hand in a given position (making a fist, pointing, flexing the wrist, etc.) or by accelerating the hand. Contact can be with or without pressure. Pressure can be used to activate a switch or can be used to generate a signal with a pressure sensitive material, such as a piezoelectric material. The contact can also be electric, namely the surface of the glove can be provided with conductive pads which detect when a conductive object is touched or held.

In accordance with a further object of the invention, the glove may be provided with means for detecting or identifying an object contacted or grasped for producing an identification signal. Depending on the identification of the object, the sound produced by the sound generating means can be adapted. The detecting means can comprise a variety of devices. For example, a first conductive pad located near the tip of the index finger and a second conductive pad located on the palm at the base of the index finger can provide an electrical connection to an object, namely a handle having corresponding isolated conductive pads. The handle can then be identified by the resistance or capacitance offered between the corresponding pads. The nature of games can differ when the object is identifiable and the sound generated is a function of the object. For example, a set of carpentry or home maintenance tools in which a work glove according to the invention produces sounds and/or

words associated with use of one of the tools when the given tool is grasped can be carried out by providing a single sound generator in the glove with a bank of sounds stored in the generator's electronic memory. Using an identification chip, such as is known in the art, the identification be digitally carried out with great accuracy and a large number of unique identification numbers. The chip can be powered by the glove through the contacts which also relay the identification signal.

If no electrical contact is desired, an electrical coil in the palm of the glove can be used to interact with the object or tool handle and identify the object by its inductance. The object can be provided with a corresponding coil connected to a given load whose passive electrical characteristics could be measured by the coil in the glove. The coil on the handle can be provided on a printed circuit. As in the case of making electrical contact, an identification chip can be used which is powered by induced current resulting from the coil in the glove. The chip can be used to change the inductance of the coil in the handle in a time series to signal its digital identification number. The transmitting glove coil can detect and recognize the number. Preferably, a pressure switch is used to detect that the object is grasped, after which the detection means attempt to identify the object. If the object is identified, then the sound effect is generated until the object is released. If the object is not identified, either no sound is generated, or a general sound or message is generated. It is important for good inductive coupling that the two coils be placed in close proximity and in good alignment, and therefore

- Lnger grooves on the handle can be provided so that the glove is in proper position on the handle when gripping.

Preferably, when a switch is used to activate a sound representing a blow such as a karate chop, punch or the like, the switch is located to be activatable by the thumb and/or fingers, namely the index finger. Such a location is near the base of the index finger.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will become better understood by way of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a palm side plan view of the glove according to the preferred embodiment;

FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of the electronic circuitry used in the preferred embodiment; FIGURE 3 is a side view of an alternative embodiment in which a bicycle handle is gripped and motorcycle sounds are simulated upon activation of one or two switches;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed side view of the wrist flexion activated switch of the embodiment shown in Figure 3;

FIGURES 5a and 5b illustrate palm side plan views of two further alternative embodiments including means for identifying an object grasped; and

FIGURES 6a and 6b are partly sectional end views illustrating the gloves of Figures 5a and 5b respectively grasping handles provided with identity circuits.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

As illustrated in Figure 1, the invention is a toy glove 10 having sound generating means 12 located on an inside of cuff 26. The sound generating means produce a sound when a pressure switch 14 is closed, the sound generating means being connected by a wire to switch 14. Switch 14 is located at the base of index finger 21 and can be pressed either by closing finger 21 or by pressing with thumb 20.

In the preferred embodiment, the glove is used to generate sounds associated with blows used in martial arts. By closing fingers 21 through 24, a fist can be made and at the time the punch is thrown by the child wearing glove 10, extra pressure can be provided to finger 21 for closing switch 14. Alternatively, with fingers 21 through 24 extended, thumb 20 can be brought into press flatly against palm 25 to press on switch 14 as a karate chop blow is executed.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the sound generating means according to the preferred embodiment is a digital sound producing circuit having a tone generator 32 and a memory 34. The tone generator 32 typically comprises a CPU which reads sequentially values stored in memory 34 and converts the values contained in memory 34 into an analog waveform sent to speaker 30 to reproduce the recorded sound. Tone generator 32 and memory 34 are powered by a battery 36. Memory 34 is preferably non-volatile in which case loss of power does not imply loss of its contents. To reduce power consumption, it is possible to include within the circuit a power saver circuit which cuts power to the active components once the tone generator 32 has

finished playing the sequence of sounds. The power supply is restored and the tone generator is triggered to initiate reproducing the sound stored in memory upon closing switch 14. Figure 3 illustrates a first alternative embodiment in which the toy glove is used to simulate motorcycle sounds while a child is riding a bicycle. Switch 14a is a pressure sensitive switch connected to sound generating means 12. A second switch 14b is provided on the back of the glove near the wrist for activation when the wrist is concavely flexed. In this alternative embodiment, different sounds are produced in response to the closing of the two switches 14a and 14b. The closing of switch 14a located at palm 25 is indicative that the glove has been placed with pressure on a handlebar. This may denote an idle or cruise position and consequently, in response to closing of switch 14a alone, the sound generating means 12 produce a stable motorcycle sound. In response to the closing of switch 14b, the mechanism of which will be described hereinbelow, sound generating means 12 generate an accelerating motorcycle sound. Sound generating means 12 may be programmed to response to the closing and opening of switch 14b while switch 14a remains substantially continuously depressed in a manner to reproduce the sound made by a motorcycle which accelerates, changes gears while easing off on the throttle, and then ultimately cruises at a continuous speed.

Figure 4 illustrates a detailed cross sectional view of switch 14b. An elongated flexible plastic strip 42 is fixed to a liner strip 48 attached to the back wrist portion of glove 10. On strip 42, a pair of contact support members 44 and

46 support electrical contacts 45 and 47. As strip 42 flexes with the concave flexion of the wrist about a point between the contacts, the two contact supports 44 and 46 are brought together until they touch and provide electrical contact between contacts 45 and 47. Although the contact supports 44 and 46 are illustrated to rise a substantial distance above the flexible strip 42, they are to be arranged at a suitable height which provides a minimum bulge visible on the backside of glove 10 while providing efficient making and breaking of contact. Furthermore, the contact supports 44 and 46 are resilient and arranged to slide one above the other in order that the user does not feel substantial resistance as the wrist is flexed. As one can appreciate, a variety of different switch arrangements may be provided which respond to the concave flexion of the wrist portion of glove 10.

According to a further alternative aspect of the invention, glove 10 produces a different sound, or only produces a given sound, when the signal producing means successfully identify an object contacted using glove 10. Two embodiments of this arrangement are illustrated, the first being illustrated in Figures 5a and 6a, and the second being illustrated in Figures 5b and 6b.

In the embodiment of Figures 5a and 6a, glove 10 is provided with electrical contact pads 52 located on fingers 21, 22 and 22, while a forth electrical contact pad 53 is located on palm 25. Pressure switch 14 is also provided on palm 25. The contacts 52 are separately connected to sound generating means 12 along with contact 53 in switch 14. The contact pads 52 may comprise a thin metal foil on the surface of the glove material, a

conductive material or paint applied to the surface of the glove or a series of metallic threads stitched into specific contact pad regions making up the pads 52 and 53. When the glove is wrapped around a handle 40 as illustrated in Figure 6a, the contact pads 52 and 53 are aligned with corresponding contact pads 55 and 56 respectively. As an example, contact pad 53 acts as a low current low amperage live contact to which power is supplied while the presence or absence of current at each of fingers 21, 22 and 23 is detected by sound generating means 12 for the purposes of establishing an identity of the particular handle 40 being grasped. The identity is established by providing conductive paths in the handle between pads 55 and 56 by means of conductors 54. Using three conductors 52 and a digital detection scheme, it is possible for the glove to detect seven different kinds of handles 40. The application of current or voltage to pad 53 is initiated upon pressing switch 14, at which time once a conductive path is detected, a predetermined sound is generated either for a predetermined length of time or fox as long as switch 14 is depressed.

It would be possible to interconnect pads 52 provided that the corresponding pads 55 were also interconnected and the conductive path 54 be provided with a unique conductive load either in response to a predetermined DC voltage or a predetermined AC signal.

A set of seven differently coded handles 40 may be the handles of seven different tools sold separately or as a kit, along with glove 10, so that the child may hear the sound generated by glove 10

which is associated with the normal use of the tool, e.g. the percussion of a hammer, the rhythm of sawing wood using a hand saw, the whine of drilling wood while holding a drill, the sound of a jigsaw, etc. Of course, the handles may be provided with special grips in order to position fingers 21 through 23 in a specific location on handle 40. As can be appreciated, the conductive components 54 located in handle 40 can be of minimal cost, and only a single power source and sound generator is required for the set of tools.

In the embodiments of Figures 5b and 6b, the identification circuit is somewhat more sophisticated, however, no electrical contact between the glove and the handle is required. An electromagnetic coil 60 is provided in palm 25 which is provided with an AC signal or pulse for the purposes of detecting the inductance of a corresponding coil 62 located within handle 40, the coil 62 being connected to a load 64 for providing a unique induction response which is sensed by circuitry in sound generating means 12 connected to coil 60. The use of a sensing coil for powering and identifying a unique induction response circuit is known in the art, see for example, U.S. Patent 5,295,611.

Although the invention has been described hereinabove with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible and contemplated within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.