Interactive entertainment system

• US 20070070034A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Hepburn, Michael Fanning
• Original Assignee: Andrew Hepburn, Michael Fanning
• Inventors: Fanning, Michael, Hepburn, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/238,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20070070034A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and a method for providing interactive entertainment are disclosed. The system includes a projectile, a target, a reader, and a controller. The projectile has a wireless actuator. The target includes a detector, which is configured to detect wireless actuators. The reader is configured to read the detected wireless actuators. The reader provides the controller with a signal when the reader detects the projectile. The controller is configured to implement a gaming module for displaying a virtual environment. The gaming module maps the detector into the virtual environment such that the detector has a virtual region of the virtual environment associated therewith, and the gaming module is configured to change at least a portion of the virtual region in response to the detector detecting the wireless actuator.

Claims

1. A method of providing interactive entertainment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a projectile having a wireless actuator;

providing a target having a detector configured to detect the wireless actuator;

providing a reader, wherein the reader is in communication with the detector and is configured to read the wireless actuator;

providing a virtual environment;

associating the detector with a virtual region of the virtual environment; and

changing a given virtual region in response the reader reading the wireless actuator of the projectile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the given region is changed from a first state to a second state for the duration of the interactive entertainment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the given region is changed for a predetermined period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing the given virtual region includes displaying a virtual object traversing at least a portion of the given virtual region.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

establishing a communication link with a network, wherein the network comprises a network for tracking items.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of:

providing product information, wherein the product information is received via the network.

7. The method of claim 5, further including the steps of:

reading a product identifier, wherein the reader reads the product identifier; and

providing the product identifier to a server via the network.

8. The method of claim 5, further including the step of:

disposing an item having the product identifier in the bin of the target.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of projectiles are provided, each projectile having a wireless actuator, wherein the target includes a plurality of detectors, which are configured to detect the wireless actuators, wherein each detector of the plurality of detectors is associated with a virtual region of the virtual environment, and wherein a given virtual region is changed in response to a given detector reading a given wireless actuator of a given projectile.

10. A computer program, embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

logic for interfacing with a wireless reader, wherein the reader is in communication with a detector;

logic for providing a virtual environment;

logic for associating the detector with a virtual region of the virtual environment;

logic for changing the virtual region in response to the detector associated with the virtual region detecting a wireless actuator, wherein a projectile includes the wireless actuator.

11. The computer program of claim 10, wherein the logic for changing includes logic for displaying a virtual object traversing at least a portion of the given virtual region.

12. The computer program of claim 10, further including:

logic for establishing a communication link with a network configured to track items.

13. The computer program of claim 12, further including:

logic for displaying at least a portion of a communication received via the network, wherein the communication includes information related to an item.

14. An interactive entertainment system, the system comprising:

a projectile having a wireless actuator;

a target having a detector configured to detect the wireless actuator;

a reader in communication with the detector, wherein the reader is configured to read the wireless actuator;

a controller in communication with the reader, the controller configured to implement a gaming module for displaying a virtual environment, wherein the gaming module maps the detector into the virtual environment such that the detector has a virtual region of the virtual environment associated therewith, and wherein the gaming module is configured to change at least a portion of the virtual region in response to the detector detecting the wireless actuator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the detector comprises an antenna, the reader comprises a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader, and the wireless actuator comprises RFID transponders.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the target defines a plurality of bins, each bin having an open end, wherein each bin includes at least one antenna.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each bin is defined by a bottom wall and at least one wall that extends generally outward from the bottom wall, wherein the antenna of a given bin is disposed proximal to the bottom wall of the given bin.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each bin is defined by a bottom wall and at least one side wall that extends generally outward from the bottom wall, wherein the antenna of a given bin is disposed proximal to the at least one side wall of the given bin.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of bins are arranged in a grid pattern.

20. The system of claim 14, further including a plurality of projectiles, wherein the plurality of projectiles includes a first set of projectiles and a second set of projectiles, wherein the gaming module is configured to associate the first set of projectiles with a first player and the second set of projectiles with a second player.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the gaming module associates the first set of projectiles with the first player in response to the first set of projectiles being read by the reader.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is in communication with a network that is configured to track items.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the network comprises an electronic product code network.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller receives from the network a communication having product information therein.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the projectile is propelled towards the target by a player providing the projectile with velocity.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the projectile comprises a plurality of projectiles, each projectile having a wireless actuator, wherein the target comprises a plurality of detectors, each detector configured to detect wireless actuators, wherein the gaming module maps the array of detectors into the virtual environment such that each detector has a virtual region of the virtual environment associated therewith, and wherein the gaming module is configured to change at least a portion of a given virtual region in response to the a given detector detecting at least one wireless actuator.

27. The system of claim 14, wherein the reader is configured to write onto the wireless actuator.

28. The system of claim 14,wherein the virtual environment comprises at least one of a tic-tac-toe board, at least a portion of a catapult, at least a portion of a dart board, at least a portion of a basketball court, and at least a portion of a virtual target, wherein virtual projectiles strike the virtual target.

29. The system of claim 14, wherein the game module is configured to operate in at least one of single player mode and multi-player mode.

30. The system of claim 29, further including a plurality of projectiles, wherein the game module is configured to associate at least one projectile with a given player.