Video game with concurrent processing of game-related physical objects

• US 10,315,119 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Reiche, Paul, Leyland, Robert, Batson, III, Charles H
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US13/109,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,947 Days
• Field of Search: 463 31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls

Abstract

A video game includes a peripheral device that senses the presence and identity of toys near or on the peripheral. Each of the toys includes an identification device such as an RFID tag. Each of the toys is also associated with a corresponding game character or object. A toy stores information about the status of the corresponding character or object in the game, for example, a character name, a score, and an owner of the toy may be stored in a character toy. The information about the toy is updated during game play. The toys may be sensed, read, and written concurrently.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for use in providing a video game, comprising:

determining that a change in toys present on or near a reader indicates that a toy has been added, such that information may be received from the toy;

in response to determining that the change in toys present on or near the reader indicates that the toy has been added, adding a game character associated with the toy to the video game by;

as part of adding the game character associated with the toy to the video game, receiving initial information from a memory of the toy, the memory of the toy including at least initial information stored in an initial information area of the memory of the toy and further information stored in a further information area of the toy, the initial information and the further information including information about the game character associated with the toy, the further information including information about the game character associated with the toy additional to information of the initial information,

as part of adding the game character associated with the toy to the video game, displaying a representation of the game character associated with the toy utilizing the initial information, without regard as to whether the further information from the memory of the toy has been received, and making the game character associated with the toy available for game play in the video game,

as part of adding the game character associated with the toy to the video game, receiving the further information from the memory of the toy, and

as part of adding the game character associated with the toy to the video game, after displaying the representation of the game character associated with the toy and making the game character associated with the toy available for game play in the video game, modifying status of the game character associated with the toy by adding details of the further information received from the memory of the toy to the status of the game character associated with the toy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial information comprises a name of the game character associated with the toy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial information includes an identification of an object worn by the game character associated with the toy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory of the toy includes at least two sets of data areas including further information and further comprising:

receiving sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of the memory of the toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written; and

determining, utilizing the sequence values, a current one of the data areas to read at least the further information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting toys present such that information may be received from the toys present;

determining, based on changes in the toys detected relative to a previous detection of toys present, whether the toy has been removed; and

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of event affecting the game character associated with one of the toys;

when the determined type of event is a first type, writing, after a time period, information based on the event to the one of the toys; and

when the determined type of event is a second type, writing, without substantial delay, information based on the event to the one of the toys.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein writing information based on the event to the one of the toys comprises:

determining which of a plurality of data areas in a memory of the one of the toys is an oldest of the data areas; and

writing the information based on the event to the oldest of the data areas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting toys present utilizes radio frequency identification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting toys present utilizes optical recognition.

10. A video game system, comprising:

a peripheral configured to sense identifiers of a plurality of toys proximate the peripheral and read information from and write information to memories of the toys; and

a processor configured by program instructions, the processor data coupled to the peripheral, the program instructions comprising instructions to;

receive the identifiers of toys proximate the peripheral;

determine changes in the toys detected relative to a previous sensing of toys proximate the peripheral; and

for each toy determined to have been added, add a game character associated with the added toy to the video game,

the instructions to add the game character associated with the added toy to the video game comprising instructions to;

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, command the peripheral to read initial information about the game character associated with the added toy from a memory of the added toy,

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, command display of a representation of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the initial information and make the game character associated with the added toy available for game play in the video game,

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, command the peripheral to read further information about the game character associated with the added toy from the memory of the added toy, the further information including additional information about the game character beyond that of the initial information, and

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, after making the game character associated with the added toy available for game play, modify status of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the further information read from the memory of the added toy.

11. The video game system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to:

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

12. The video game system of claim 10, wherein the peripheral is configured to sense the identifiers of multiple ones of the toys concurrently.

13. The video game system of claim 10, wherein the peripheral is configured to sense the identifiers of the toys using radio frequency identification.

14. The video game system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to command the peripheral to read initial information from the memory of the added toy comprise instructions to:

command the peripheral to read sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of the memory of the added toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written;

determine, utilizing the sequence values, the current one of the data areas; and

command the peripheral to read the initial information from the current one of the data areas.

15. The video game system of claim 10, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to:

command the peripheral to write information to one of the toys indicative of a status of the game character associated with the one of the toys.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for a video game, the machine-readable medium comprising program instructions for:

commanding a peripheral device to detect toys present in a region;

determining changes in the toys detected relative to a previous detection of toys present; and

for each toy determined to have been added, adding a game character associated with the added toy to the video game,

the program instructions for adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game comprising program instructions for;

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, commanding the peripheral device to read initial information about the game character associated with the added toy from a memory of the added toy, as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, commanding display of a representation of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the initial information,

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, after commanding display of the representation of the game character associated with the added toy, commanding the peripheral device to read further information about the game character associated with the added toy from the memory of the added toy, the further information including additional information about the game character beyond that of the initial information, and

as part of adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game, modify status of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the further information read from the memory of the added toy.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the initial information comprises a name of the game character associated with the added toy.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the initial information comprises an identification of an object worn by the game character associated with the added toy.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the program instructions for commanding the peripheral to read initial information from the memory of the added toy comprise program instructions for:

commanding the peripheral to read sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of the memory of the added toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written;

determining, utilizing the sequence values, the current one of the data areas; and

commanding the peripheral to read the initial information from the current one of the data areas.

20. The medium of claim 16, further comprising program instructions for:

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

21. The medium of claim 16, further comprising program instructions for:

determining a type of event affecting the game character associated with one of the toys;

when the determined type of event is a first type, commanding, after a time period, the peripheral device to write information based on the event to the one of the toys; and

when the determined type of event is a second type, commanding, without substantial delay, the peripheral device to write information based on the event to the one of the toys.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions for commanding the peripheral device to write information based on the event to the one of the toys comprise program instructions for:

determining which of a plurality of data areas in a memory of the one of the toys is an oldest of the data areas; and

commanding the peripheral device to write the information based on the event to the oldest of the data areas.