Abstract: The invention teaches an interactive character system which through the use of receivers and transmitters embedded in various locations throughout a controlled environment, allows the character to interact verbally with the environment and react with programmed responses to stimuli within the environment. The toy character may be used as a tour guide and may create for a child anticipation of an upcoming trip as well as provide intelligent recall of experiences following a trip. The toy character interact with other toy character, with its owner and with the environment.

Abstract: An interactive character system that includes one or more toy characters and an environment, such as a theme park. Each toy character has one or more one or more electronic signal receivers, and an electronic system. The electronic system is structured to produce oral communication and has a programmable memory structured to store software. The software is structured to interact with the electronic signals and to cause the electronic system to produce the oral communication. The environment has one or more environmental electronic signal transmitters disposed therein. The toy character, one or more one or more electronic signal receivers interact with the one or more environmental electronic signal transmitters to cause the toy character electronic system to produce the oral communication.

Abstract: The invention teaches the combination of a common toy, the yo-yo, and an electronic hand-held game playing device. To date, these two areas have not been combined and certainly have not been interactive. Specifically, the invention consists of an electronic circuit embedded into the disk of a yo-yo such that typical yo-yo game playing interfaces with the electronic game. The electronic game may be the LCD-type games similar to current hand-held games with the exception that the player must use typical yo-yo game playing actions to play the LCD game. The electronic LCD game will utilize the LCD to display game results and graphics while the yo-yo sensor and switches will provide game input. In addition, the invention discloses electronic games based on audio sound effects, similar to current non-LCD electronic hand-held games with the exception that player must use typical yo-yo game playing to play the game.

Abstract: An oboe reed gouging device includes a base, a pair of pedestals, a rod supported between the pedestals, and a bed pivotally attached to the base for holding a cane to be gouged into an oboe reed. The oboe reed gouging device further includes a first and second carriage portion which houses a blade. The two part construction of the carriage enables adjustment of the blade with respect to the bed without movement of the bed. The blade is held by a pair of cylinders for providing greater surface contact on the blade to prevent pivotal movement of the blade. The blade can be advanced and retracted by a pushing screw having a collar and a groove engagable with a pair of pins. Each of the adjustments, including an adjustment of the bed with respect to the rod, can be made with a single adjustment, making re-adjustment easy.

Abstract: The Electronic RPM Yo-Yo will contain electronics for purposes of measuring typical yo-yo game play including the speed and RPMs, the duration of the spin of the yo-yo and it will also calculate overall score based upon a combination of the speed and duration. It may also calculate the scale speed in miles per hour and the distance which the yo-yo would have traveled had it been rolling along a flat plane. The electronics will save high scores for each of the result categories. The high scores can be recalled. The electronics will include a sound transducer to provide audio signals that will alert a player when his current play has exceeded a high score. Results of game play will be conveyed using LCD read-out, a bar graph comprised of colored LEDs or heard audibly via a speaker and electronic speech. Results can also be transmitted to similar yo-yo's via IR (infrared) or IF radio frequency technology.

Abstract: The invention is an improvement to LCD game playing devices whereby a colored reflective surface is added that is larger than the LCD viewing area which allows the LCD to move over the background with intelligence. Thus, the LCD's normally static colored background will change. This change can be used to have a scrolling landscape or to move to new background graphics that reflect new game playing themes. The reflective surface as a whole remains static but as viewed through the moving LCD it will appear to be scrolling or changing. The LCD will light up to reveal different images most likely relative to the current background. The reflective surface can be printed in a circular path, a linear path, a two-dimensional surface, intersecting linear paths or a perimeter shape. The computer chip housed within the game playing device will know where the LCD is relative to the background. This knowledge and the physical movement of the LCD is used to enhance game play.

Abstract: A talking board game having a board and an electronic computer system providing speech information to the players, and cards which can be read by the electronic computer system.