NETWORKED INTERACTIVE TOY APPARATUS OPERATIVE TO PROMOTE SALES

摘要

Sales promotion apparatus and methods employing interactive toys are described. Interactive toys (20) have real time conversations with users (10), preferably employing speech recognition. Interactive toys are preferably connected to at least one interactive toy server which is preferably connected to entertainment, education and sales promotion servers possibly via Internet communication systems utilizing, for example, telephone lines, coaxial cables, satellite or other broadband systems. Interactive toys are preferably connected to a computing device such as a home computer (70) or an Interactive Television set-top box via a wireless link. They may support mobile cellular or satellite communication.