Wirless interactive electronic toy

• US 20030040347A1
• Filed: 06/14/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Sanfilippo, Daniel, La Barbara, A. Franklin Jr., Roach, Alan P., Kullgren, Peter M., Melone, Georgina M., Merino, Darrell, Wiesenhahn, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/880,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040347A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

Wireless interactive gaming system where users can engage in a solo play mode to collect components to build warriors. The user uses the collected components to build a warrior that can be used to attack other game units. Communication can occur with or without handshaking. Warriors are created from a head, body, and tail with varying abilities and with a pre-programmed attack sequence.

Claims

1. An electronic game unit comprising:

a housing;

a display;

at least one input device;

a power source;

a transceiver operable to wirelessly send and receive data; and

a computing device positioned in the housing, connected to the display, the at least one input device, the power source, and the transceiver, the computing device programmed to;

display a player character; and

wirelessly transmit information regarding the player character.

2. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the display, the at least one input device, the power source, and the transceiver are each contained within the housing.

3. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

4. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the display comprises an active matrix display.

5. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the at least one input device includes one or more from the group consisting of:

a plurality of directional buttons;

a sound control;

a pause button; and

one or more select buttons.

6. The electronic game unit of claim 1 further comprising an on/off switch.

7. The electronic game unit of claim 6 wherein the on/off switch includes a light emitting diode (LED) positioned within or near the on/off switch, the LED emitting light to indicate a status of the electronic game.

8. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the transceiver sends and receives infrared signals.

9. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the transceiver sends and receives radio frequency signals.

10. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the computing device includes the following:

a memory; and

a processor, connected to the memory.

11. The electronic game unit of claim 10 wherein the processor is a general-purpose computer processing unit.

12. The electronic game unit of claim 10 wherein the processor is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

13. The electronic game unit of claim 10 wherein the memory includes one or more from the group consisting of:

a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and synchronous DRAM (SDRAM).

14. The electronic game unit of claim 10 wherein the memory is external to the processor.

15. The electronic game unit of claim 10 wherein the memory is integral to the processor.

16. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the power supply is one from the group consisting of:

a rechargeable battery; and

a non-rechargeable battery.

17. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the power supply includes one or more from the group consisting of:

a lithium rechargeable batter;

a nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batter; and

a nickel-cadium rechargeable battery.

18. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to provide a solo game module that may be used to obtain items.

19. The electronic game unit of claim 18 wherein the items obtained through the solo game module may be used to acquire one or more player character.

20. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to provide a tutorial module, the tutorial module operable to demonstrate one or more features of the electronic game unit.

21. The electronic game unit of claim 20 wherein the tutorial module is operable to demonstrate the operation of a solo game module.

22. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to provide a fight module, the fight module operable to wirelessly send a player character.

23. The electronic game unit of claim 22 wherein the fight module is operable to receive a wirelessly transmitted player character.

24. The electronic game unit of claim 18 wherein the computing device is further configured to provide a stasis lab module, the stasis lab module operable to generate one or more player characters using items acquired from the solo game module.

25. The electronic game unit of claim 24 wherein the items obtained from the solo game module include one or more player character components.

26. The electronic game unit of claim 25 wherein the one or more player character components include one or more from the group consisting of:

a head, a body, and a tail.

27. The electronic game unit of claim 26 wherein a player character is generated by combining a head, a body, and a tail.

28. The electronic game unit of claim 1 wherein the computing device is further configured to provide a combat module, the combat module operable to fight a player character received by the transceiver.

29. A method for administrating an electronic game unit using a base station, the base station including a transceiver operable to wirelessly send and receive data, the method comprising:

determining an administrative action to perform; and

transmitting a signal indicative of the administrative action, the signal receivable by an electronic game unit,

wherein the signal is operable to perform the administrative action on the electronic game unit.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the administrative action is to activate a feature of the electronic game unit.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the administrative action is to deactivate a feature of the electronic game unit.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the feature is a hidden feature of the electronic game Unit.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the administrative action is to download information from a data store of the electronic game unit.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein the administrative action is to upload information to a data store of the electronic game unit.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein the administrative action is to test the electronic game unit.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the administrative action is to display information regarding the electronic game unit.

37. A method for receiving data from an electronic game unit, the method comprising:

entering a sleep mode to minimize battery drain;

periodically checking a communication channel to determine if the communication channel is in use;

if the communication channel is determined to be in use, entering a receive mode to accept data from the communication channel;

wherein data may be received without transmitting any information.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the communication channel has a nominal transmission frequency of 300 MHz.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the data transmission rate is approximately 12 kbps.

40. An electronic game unit comprising:

a transceiver operable to communicate with one or more enemy electronic game systems;

a memory, the memory operable to store a designated character; and

a computing device connected to the memory and the transceiver, and wherein the computing device is configured to transmit the designated character to the one or more enemy game units, and to receive a designed character from the one or more enemy game units.

41. An electronic game unit comprising:

a memory operable to store one or more characters; and

a computing device connected to the memory, and wherein the computing device is configured to provide a game, the game including;

a collection phase for obtaining character components;

an assembly phase for creating characters from the character components; and

a battle phase whereby created characters may enter combat with enemy characters.

42. The electronic game unit of claim 41 wherein the character components include one or more from the group consisting of:

a head;

a body; and

a tail.