Abstract: A breath-sensitive toy responding with interesting behavior to human breath such as caused by whispering, speaking, singing, or blowing. A processor monitors sensors for detecting humidity or temperature variations due to the proximity of human breath. When the presence of breath is detected, the processor actuates one or more output devices capable of producing sound, light, or movement. The toy can have the form of a figure such as a doll or stuffed toy, or the form of a child's musical toy, such as a pan flute or harmonica.

Abstract: Toys and toy operating systems for use therein. A toy operating system may include an input system responsive to a predetermined quantitative characteristic of a liquid body, such as electrical conductivity, and a response system coupled to the input system and configured to generate one or more toy output patterns based at least in part on the given characteristic. A toy vehicle for use with such an operating system may include a chassis, a chamber adapted to contain a liquid body, and at least one toy component operable to display an output according to a generated output pattern. Exemplary toy components include an audiovisual assembly to produce an audiovisual display and a drive assembly to move the toy vehicle across a ground surface.

Abstract: A toy may include a housing, an electromagnetic-field sensor, an output, a controller, and/or a source of an electromagnetic field. The housing may be adapted to be supported on a support surface. In some examples, the housing may support the field sensor in a fixed orientation or position relative to the support surface. In some examples, the field sensor may be adapted to produce a signal having a magnitude representative of a change in a field passing through the sensor. In some examples the output may have a changeable sensible output. The controller may be adapted to operate the output to have different outputs for different magnitudes of the signal. The source of the field may be moveable by a user relative to the sensor to expose the sensor to a field that changes according to the movements of the source by the user.

Abstract: A flexible, reliable and economical DC to DC power converter system includes a plurality of DC to DC converter units, a pulse width modulation current share bus interconnecting the DC to DC converter units and a synchronization signal connected to each of the DC to DC converter units to synchronize each of the DC to DC converter units to the same frequency. Each DC to DC converter unit includes a power section, a controller and a standard universal interface connecting the power section to the controller such that the power section can be changed to accommodate different input voltages, output voltages and current loads without making significant hardware changes in the controller. The controller includes a digital signal processor having a calibration table matching control parameters to the specific circuit characteristics of the power section.

Abstract: A breath-sensitive toy responding with interesting behavior to human breath such as caused by whispering, speaking, singing, or blowing. A processor monitors sensors for detecting humidity or temperature variations due to the proximity of human breath. When the presence of breath is detected, the processor actuates one or more output devices capable of producing sound, light, or movement. The toy can have the form of a figure such as a doll or stuffed toy, or the form of a child's musical toy, such as a pan flute or harmonica.

Abstract: A flexible, reliable and economical DC to DC power converter system includes a plurality of DC to DC converter units, a pulse width modulation current share bus interconnecting the DC to DC converter units and a synchronization signal connected to each of the DC to DC converter units to synchronize each of the DC to DC converter units to the same frequency. Each DC to DC converter unit includes a power section, a controller and a standard universal interface connecting the power section to the controller such that the power section can be changed to accommodate different input voltages, output voltages and current loads without making significant hardware changes in the controller. The controller includes a digital signal processor having a calibration table matching control parameters to the specific circuit characteristics of the power section.

Abstract: A process is described for making optical circuits on LiTaO.sub.3 substrates. The process involves putting down an epitaxial layer of LiNbO.sub.3 on the LiTaO.sub.3 substrates. Growth is preferably carried out on certain planes of the LiTaO.sub.3. These optical circuits are unique in that they are smooth, uniform in thickness and have a refractive index significantly larger than that of the substrate. This is advantageous in optical circuitry, since the optical modes in the circuits are quite distinct and can be coupled separately using such light sources as lasers and light emitting diodes.