Manipulable interactive devices

• US 20060215476A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Joseph Edwards
• Original Assignee: The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA)
• Inventors: Owen, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,057,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/230.30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/28 Chain-reaction games with toppling pieces; Dispensers or positioning devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/34 the elements to be placed loosely in adjacent relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 1/36 the elements being connectible by corresponding projections and recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A manually manipulable device adapted to present an individual characterisation to a user comprising a processor, a power source, a communications unit, a response generator, and a proximity sensor adapted to sense the close proximity of a similar device, such that a user can manipulate the device and generate a sensory response in said response generator or a response generator of another, at least similar, device, in accordance with the proximity of said other device.

Claims

1. A manually manipulable device adapted to present an individual characterisation to a user comprising a processor, a power source, a communications unit, a response generator, and a proximity sensor adapted to sense the close proximity of a similar device, such that a user can manipulate the device and generate a sensory response in said response generator or a response generator of another, at least similar, device, in accordance with the proximity of said other device.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said characterisation comprises visual display material on each device.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the response generator comprises a visual display device to display said characterisation as visual display material.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which said sensory response comprises a visual display on the visual display device.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the response generator comprises an audio generator to generate said characterisation as an audio output.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 which is programmable to determine the characterisation.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 which is programmable to determine the sensory response to be generated.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the communications unit is adapted to communication with other similar devices to identify itself and to generate a sensory response.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which the communications unit comprises a wireless device.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the communications unit is adapted to communicate the proximity of an adjacent device as detected by the proximity sensor.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 in which the communications unit is adapted to communicate the identity of said adjacent device.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which edges of the device are adapted to fit together or interlock with those of another, at least similar, device in a predetermined orientation consistent with visual display material on each device.

13. A device as claimed in claim 1 which includes a user sensor sensitive to touch and adapted to trigger a sensory output.

14. A device as claimed in claim 1 which includes a user sensor sensitive to movement and adapted to trigger a sensory response.

15. A device as claimed in claim 13 in which the sensory output triggered by the user sensor comprises a characterisation output.

16. A device as claimed in claim 13 in which the sensory output triggered by the user sensor comprises an output from at least one other device.

17. A device as claimed in claim 1 which includes a user sensor adapted to sense movement of the device and to trigger an assessment of an arrangement of said devices.

31. Learning apparatus comprising at least one device as claimed in claim 1.

32. Games apparatus comprising at least one device as claimed in claim 1.

18. A set of at least two manually manipulable devices, each adapted to present an individual characterisation to a user and to be locatable relative to other such devices in multiple different arrangements, wherein each device comprises a processor, a power source, a response generator, and a communications unit, such that the devices generate a sensory response through said response generators in accordance with the arrangement of the devices selected by a user.

19. A set of devices as claimed in claim 18 in which said characterisation comprises visual display material on each device.

20. A set of devices as claimed in claim 19 in which the response generator comprises a visual display device to display said characterisation as visual display material.

21. A set of devices as claimed in claim 18 in which the response generator comprises a visual display device to generate said sensory response as a visual response.

22. A set of devices as claimed in claim 20 in which said sensory response comprises a visual display on the visual display device of at least one of said devices.

23. A set of devices as claimed in claim 18 in which the response generator comprises an audio generator to generate said characterisation as an audio output.

24. A set of devices as claimed in claim 18 in which the response generator comprises an audio generator to generate said sensory response as an audio response.

25. A set of devices as claimed in claim 18 and a board on which the devices are to be placed in said multiple different arrangements and which is capable of identifying the location and identity of each device.

26. A set of devices as claimed in claim 25 in which the board incorporates a screen which is adapted to generate a visual display.

27. A set of devices as claimed in claim 25 in which the board incorporates a charger to recharge the power source in each device when located on the board.

28. A set of devices as claimed in claim 19 in which at least two of said devices are adapted to be arranged in a line so that said visual display material reads in a meaningful manner along said line, and a similar device is locatable adjacent to one side of said line of devices, and thereby triggers a change in the visual display material on said similar device so that it matches that of said line of devices.

29. A set of devices as claimed in claim 18 which are adapted to communicate via said communications units to form an intelligent computing network which is able to respond in accordance with the arrangement of the devices and generate said sensory response.

30. A learning aid comprising:

a radio transceiver;

a display screen;

a magnetic sensor;

a processor coupled to the transceiver, the screen and the sensor; and

a battery coupled to transceiver, the screen, the sensor and the processor to provide power;

wherein;

the processor is adapted to determine from a signal from the sensor the proximity of another, at least similar, learning aid; and

the processor is adapted to respond to manipulation of the aid by a user by at least one of driving the screen to present an image to the user and driving a nearby, at least similar, learning aid to give a response to the user.