Electronic Device and the Input and Output of Data

• US 20120019480A1
• Filed: 10/02/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Cannon, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• 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 3/0393 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular, to the input and output of data from the electronic device. The present invention also relates to an object that is identifiable by an electronic device having a touch screen. The object includes contact members that can engage or be positioned proximate to the touch screen. The contact members create contact points that are sensed or detected by the touch screen. The object is at least partly conductive and includes at least a first contact member and a second contact member spaced from the first contact member. The first and second contact members define the pattern of contact points. An output is generated and displayed by the touch screen when the object engages or is proximate to the touch screen and is identified.

Claims

1. A system for identifying an object, comprising:

an electronic device including a touch screen; and

an object including a conductive portion and having a first contact member engageable with the touch screen and a second contact member engageable with the touch screen, the first contact member spaced from the second contact member by a first distance, wherein the electronic device identifies the object when the first and second contact members engage the touch screen to form first and second contact points, and the electronic device generates a visual output on the touch screen based on the location and the movement of the contact points.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a first object, and the system further comprises:

a second object including a conductive portion and having a third contact member engageable with the touch screen and a fourth contact member engageable with the touch screen, the third contact member spaced from the fourth contact member by a second distance, the second distance differing from the first distance, wherein the electronic device identifies the second object when the third and fourth contact members engage the touch screen to form third and fourth contact points.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electronic device identifies the first object based on the first distance between the first and second contact points and identifies the second object based on the second distance between the third and fourth contact points.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a toy figure or a toy vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a third contact member, the third contact member creating a third contact point when the object is proximate to the touch screen, the third contact member being spaced from a line connecting the first and second contact members by a second distance, the first distance being used by the electronic device to determine a category of the object and the second distance being used by the electronic device to determine the identity of the object within the category.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a third contact member and a fourth contact member, each of the contact members being engageable with the touch screen to create a contact point detectable by the electronic device, the fourth contact member being located within the perimeter of the shape defined by the first, second, and third contact members, the electronic device is configured to use the first, second, and third contact members to identify a grid relating to the position of the object on the touch screen, and the electronic device is configured to use the location of the fourth contact member on the grid to identify the object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a third contact member movably mounted on the object, the object being manipulatable so that the third contact member can be moved into and out of engagement with the touch screen.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the object includes an actuator coupled to the third contact member, the actuator being movable relative to the object so that movement of the actuator results in movement of the third contact member.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the first object includes its own third contact member, the third contact member of the first object creating a third contact point when the first object is proximate to the touch screen, the third contact member of the first object being spaced from a line connecting the first and second contact members by a second distance, and the first distance and the second distance being used by the electronic device to determine the identity of the object.

10. The toy of claim 1, wherein the electronic device generates a first output when a pattern of contact points is sensed by the touch screen, the conductive object is a toy weapon with a coupling mechanism for receiving and coupling the electronic device to the conductive object, the first contact member engaging the touch screen when the weapon is coupled to the conductive object, the second contact member being selectively engageable with the touch screen, and a second output different from the first output is generated when the second contact member engages the touch screen.

11. A toy for use with an electronic device including a touch screen, the electronic device being configured to generate an output when a pattern of contact points is sensed by the touch screen, the toy comprising:

a conductive object including;

a first contact member;

a second contact member spaced from the first contact member;

a third contact member movably mounted on the object, the object being manipulatable so that the third contact member can be moved into and out of engagement with the touch screen, the first, second, and third contact members defining the pattern of contact points when the contact members engage the touch screen, the output being generated by the electronic device when the object is identified.

12. The toy of claim 11, wherein the object includes an actuator coupled to the third contact member, the actuator being movable relative to the object so that movement of the actuator results in movement of the third contact member.

13. The toy of claim 11, wherein the conductive object is one of a toy vehicle or a toy figure.

14. The toy of claim 11, wherein the conductive object is an action figure, the action figure including a first appendage including the first contact member and a second appendage including the second contact member.

15. A method of identifying a conductive object using a touch screen of an electronic device, the conductive object including a first contact member, a second contact member, and a third contact member, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a pattern of engagement points on the touch screen when the conductive object is proximate to the touch screen, the engagement points being formed by the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member when the conductive object is proximate to the touch screen, the first contact member being spaced from the second contact member by a first distance, the third contact member being spaced from a line connecting the first and second contact members by a second distance, the first distance and the second distance being used by the electronic device to identify the conductive object;

determining information about the conductive object based on the engagement points; and

generating an output based on the information determined about the conductive object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pattern of engagement points is a first pattern of engagement points and the conductive object is a first conductive object, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a second pattern of engagement points on the touch screen when a second conductive object is proximate to the touch screen, the second pattern of engagement points being different than the first pattern of engagement points;

determining information about the second conductive object based on the second pattern of engagement points; and

generating a second output based on the information determined about the second conductive object.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining a pattern of engagement points includes using the first distance to determine a category of the object and using the second distance to determine the identity of the object.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining a pattern of engagement points includes sensing a first point, a second point, a third point, and a fourth point, the electronic device using the first point, the second point, and the third point to determine the orientation of the conductive object on the touch screen, and the electronic device using the fourth point to determine the identity of the conductive object on the touch screen.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating an output includes generating feedback on the touch screen based on movement of the engagement points.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the feedback on the touch screen includes at least one of an image associated with the conductive object or additional content in an application running on the device.