US4770416A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vocal game apparatus
Assignee: Tomy Kogyo Co Ltd
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Filing: 1987-05-29
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Granted: 1988-09-13
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Expires: 2007-05-29
Abstract
Abstract A vocal game apparatus records arbitrary sounds and messages from game players. These recorded sounds correspond to input switches, which are different colors and contain a lamp for lighting. Players respond to the reproduced player recorded messages and the lighting of the lamps of the input switches in playing any of a plurality of games, all of which use the messages and light in some form, stored in memory of the vocal game apparatus. In a match game, the players must hit an input key in response to a match of a reproduced player message and lighting of a lamp of an input key. In a memory game, a player must correctly repeat a sequence of the colored input keys voiced by the vocal game apparatus by hitting the corresponding input keys in the proper order. The recorded messages may be changed as often as the players desire, thus giving the players a continuous interest in the vocal game apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 Yousuke Shimizu
- 👤 Ichirou Ishikawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 14:34
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F9/00; A63F9/24; A63F2009/2401; A63F2009/2402; A63F2009/243; A63F2009/2432; A63F2009/2448; A63F2009/245; A63F2009/2451; A63F2009/247
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A vocal game apparatus comprising: a plurality of input switches operated by one or a plurality of players; recording means for recording for each input switch a corresponding voiced message; memory means for storing the voiced messages; reproducing means for reproducing the stored voiced messages in response to a reproduce command signal; a plurality of indication means, installed so that each of said indication means corresponds to one of said input switches, for providing an indication and for prompting the players to input the voiced messages in accordance with prespecified game instructions; control means for receiving input signals from said input switches, for producing output signals to control operations of said recording means and said indication means, and for producing the reproduce command signal, all according to the prespecified game instructions which utilize the recorded messages.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
A vocal game apparatus comprising: a plurality of input switches operated by one or a plurality of players; recording means for recording for each input switch a corresponding voiced message; memory means for storing the voiced messages; reproducing means for reproducing the stored voiced messages in response to a reproduce command signal; a plurality of indication means, installed so that each of said indication means corresponds to one of said input switches, for providing an indication and for prompting the players to input the voiced messages in accordance with prespecified game instructions; control means for receiving input signals from said input switches, for producing output signals to control operations of said recording means and said indication means, and for producing the reproduce command signal, all according to the prespecified game instructions which utilize the recorded messages.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A vocal game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of input switches is a different color.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
A vocal game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a disk-shaped casing containing said recording means, reproducing means, and control means; and four cylindrical convex portions spaced 90° apart and projected radially from said disk-shaped casing, each of said cylindrical convex portions containing one of said plurality of input switches, said input switches being disposed within an opening on the upper surface of said convex portions, and projecting above each opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
83 words
A vocal game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said input switches is mounted in the respective opening of said convex portion enabled to make a pivotal movement in the up and down direction, said input switches being kept in a noncontact up position by elastic forces, downward pressure on said input switches producing an input; the upper portion of each input switch being constructed of a colored transparent material, the material being a different color for each said input switch.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
A vocal game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said disk-shaped casing further comprises: an on/off switch situated on the upper surface of said casing for turning the apparatus on and off; a recording microphone situated on the upper surface of said casing for receiving the messages to be recorded; a speaker housed within said casing having an output surface on the upper surface of said casing for reproducing the messages; and a reset switch situated on the upper surface of said casing for restarting a game cycle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A vocal game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means and said reproducing means are combined in a recording and reproducing large scale integration chip.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for playing games with a vocal game apparatus comprising the steps of: recording sounds made by players; selecting one of a plurality of prespecified games to be played; reproducing the recorded sounds made by the players and lighting lights of the vocal game apparatus according to a set of game instructions for the selected game; hitting input switches in response to the sounds and lights to score points; recording the score of each player; and displaying the score of each player upon completion of the selected game.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for playing games with a vocal game apparatus comprising the steps of: recording sounds made by players; selecting one of a plurality of prespecified games to be played; reproducing the recorded sounds made by the players and lighting lights of the vocal game apparatus according to a set of game instructions for the selected game; hitting input switches in response to the sounds and lights to score points; recording the score of each player; and displaying the score of each player upon completion of the selected game.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method for using a vocal game apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the game chosen in the selecting step is a match game, said selecting step further comprising registering players playing the match game; and said hitting step further comprising requiring an input from the player in response to a match of an input switch and the reproduced sound.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
A method for using a vocal game apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the game chosen in said selecting step is a memory game, said reproducing step further comprises outputting a sequence of the lights and recorded sounds and said hitting step further comprises hitting the input switches in the identical order as output during the sequence; the length of the sequence starting at three and increasing by one following the hitting of the input switches in the identical order of the sequence.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-09-13 | 1992-03-14 | 1992-09-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-09-13 | 1996-03-14 | 1996-09-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-09-13 | 2000-03-14 | 2000-09-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |