Game pieces for use with touch screen devices and related methods

• US 10,441,877 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Heatherly, Christopher W., Mkrtchyan, Armen, Backer, Jonathan, White, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham Lu, Ngan T
• Application Number:
  US15/867,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/217 using environment-related information, i.e. information generated otherwise than by the player, e.g. ambient temperature or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00697 Playing pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 : Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 : for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for communicating with a first peripheral device, of a plurality of peripheral devices, using a touch-sensitive system that has a processor and a touch surface. According to an exemplary embodiment, a method includes detecting, using the processor, a plurality of touches on the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system that are made by the first peripheral device. The method further includes identifying, using the processor, the first peripheral device based on the plurality of touches on the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system that are made by the first peripheral device. The method additionally includes communicating data, using the processor, to a receptive circuit of the first peripheral device in response to the identifying of the first peripheral device.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive system for use by a user, the touch-sensitive system comprising:

a touch surface;

a peripheral device including;

a receptive circuit configured to receive data while the peripheral device is touching the touch surface; and

a haptic element;

a processor configured to;

display a path on the touch surface for travelling by the peripheral device; and

detect the peripheral device touching the touch surface at a first portion of the path; and

communicate the data to the receptive circuit of the peripheral device, in response to detecting the peripheral device touching the touch surface at the first portion of the path;

wherein, in response to receiving the data by the receptive circuit of the peripheral device from the processor, the peripheral device causes the haptic element to provide a haptic feedback to the user by making the peripheral device move faster or slower based upon the detected first portion of the path while the peripheral device is moving over the detected first portion of the path.

2. The touch-sensitive system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device further includes a plurality of touch points configured to contact the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system, wherein the plurality of touch points are configured to identify the peripheral device to the touch-sensitive system.

3. The touch-sensitive system of claim 1, wherein based upon the first portion of the path being snow, the peripheral device moves faster in response to receiving the data from the processor to indicate that the peripheral device is travelling over the snow.

4. The touch-sensitive system of claim 1, wherein based upon the first portion of the path being mud, the peripheral device moves slower in response to receiving the data from the processor to indicate that the peripheral device is travelling over the mud.

5. The touch-sensitive system of claim 1, wherein the haptic element includes one or more actuators.

6. The touch-sensitive system of claim 5, wherein the one or more actuators include a switch.

7. The touch-sensitive system of claim 5, wherein the one or more actuators include an electrical motor.

8. The touch-sensitive system of claim 5, wherein the one or more actuators include a wheel.

9. The touch-sensitive system of claim 5, wherein the one or more actuators include a speaker.

10. The touch-sensitive system of claim 5, wherein the one or more actuators include a light emitter.

11. A touch-sensitive system for use by a user, the touch-sensitive system comprising:

a touch surface;

a peripheral device including;

a receptive circuit configured to receive data while the peripheral device is touching the touch surface; and

one or more actuators;

a processor configured to;

display a path on the touch surface for travelling by the peripheral device; and

detect the peripheral device touching the touch surface at a first portion of the path; and

communicate the data to the receptive circuit of the peripheral device, in response to detecting the peripheral device touching the touch surface at the first portion of the path;

wherein, in response to receiving the data by the receptive circuit of the peripheral device from the processor, the peripheral device uses the one or more actuators to interact with the user by making the peripheral device move faster or slower based upon the detected first portion of the path while the peripheral device is moving over the detected first portion of the path.

12. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the peripheral device further includes a plurality of touch points configured to contact the touch surface of the touch-sensitive system, wherein the plurality of touch points are configured to identify the peripheral device to the touch-sensitive system.

13. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein based upon the first portion of the path being snow, the peripheral device moves faster in response to receiving the data from the processor to indicate that the peripheral device is travelling over the snow.

14. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein based upon the first portion of the path being mud, the peripheral device moves slower in response to receiving the data from the processor to indicate that the peripheral device is travelling over the mud.

15. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actuators include a motor.

16. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actuators include a switch.

17. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actuators include an axle.

18. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actuators include a wheel.

19. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actuators include a speaker.

20. The touch-sensitive system of claim 11, wherein the one or more actuators include a light emitter.