Toy system with manually operated scanner

• US 10,252,178 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Reid, Nicholas, Gajda, William, Taylor, Benjamin Parry
• Primary Examiner(s): Legesse, Nini
• Application Number:
  US14/848,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20160067628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 446 73, 446 83, 446 98, 446172, 446352, 446359, 446484
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2402 Input by manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2425 Scanners, e.g. for scanning regular characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2486 the computer being an accessory to a board game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/285 Photographs
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/287 Cameras therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/30 with a three-dimensional image
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/18 Toy swinging chairs; Rocking-figure toys
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/50 Frames, stands, or wheels for dolls or toy animals
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/003 Convertible toys, e.g. robots convertible into rockets or vehicles convertible into planes
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/42 Toy models or toy scenery not otherwise covered models or scenery for general purposes G09B
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

A toy assembly includes: a platform configured to receive an object in a space extending from the platform; a dock configured to receive and hold a portable imaging device associated with a field of view, the dock being positioned relative to the platform such that the space extending from the platform overlaps with the field of view of the imaging device when the imaging device is received and held in the dock; a physical input configured to move in response to an applied manual force; and a movable connection between the physical input and the platform, the movable connection configured to move the platform relative to the imaging device in response to receiving a manual force.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a representation of a symbol in an image obtained by a portable electronic device, the representation of the symbol being associated with a particular region of a platform received at a toy system;

obtaining, with an imaging device of the portable electronic device, a first image of an object received in a space that extends from the platform in response to detecting the representation of the symbol, the first image being obtained at a first time;

moving the platform of the toy system in response to application of a manual force, wherein moving the platform moves the object relative to the imaging device;

obtaining a second image of the object at a second time, a position of the object relative to the imaging device being different at the second time than at the first time;

generating a virtual environment that includes a representation of the object based on the first and second images; and

visually presenting the virtual environment at the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the object is a three-dimensional (3D) model.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second image is obtained in response to detecting a second representation of a symbol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting a second representation of a symbol comprises detecting a representation of a second symbol in an image obtained by the portable electronic device, the second symbol being visually distinct from the symbol.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying the detected representation of a symbol as a representation of a first particular symbol on the platform; and

identifying the detected second representation of a symbol as a representation of a second particular symbol on the platform.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining an amount of movement of the platform based on the identity of the first particular symbol and the identity of the second particular symbol.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether a third representation of a symbol has been detected.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a third representation of a symbol is determined to be detected, and the detected third representation of the symbol corresponds to a third symbol on the platform, the third symbol being on the platform between the first particular symbol and the second particular symbol.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether image data of the object is present in an image detected in response to detecting the third representation of a symbol; and

if image data of the object is not determined to be present, generating an estimated image of the object based on the image of the first image and the second image.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, if a third representation of a symbol has not been determined to be detected, generating an estimated image of the object based on the first image and the second image.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the first particular symbol and the second particular symbol are adjacent to each other on the platform.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting a second representation of a symbol comprises detecting a symbol that is visually identical to the detected symbol.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein visually presenting the virtual environment comprises visually presenting the virtual environment on a display of the portable electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising modifying the representation of the object in the virtual environment that is visually presented in response to user manipulation of the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein modifying the representation of the object in the virtual environment comprises one or more of moving the representation of the object in the visually presented virtual environment to a different portion of the display, overlaying accessories on the representation of the object, or placing the representation of the object in a computerized game.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more of the object and a characteristic of the object based on one or more of the first image and the second image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a characteristic of the object is identified, the characteristic comprising a color, and further comprising:

assigning one or more attributes to the representation of the object in the virtual environment based on the identified color.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the characteristic of the object comprises one or more of items and functionality associated with a character.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the symbol is a representation of the only symbol on the platform of the toy system, and further comprising:

after obtaining the second image at the second time, obtaining additional images until the representation of the symbol is detected in an obtained image.