VIDEO GAME WITH CONCURRENT PROCESSING OF GAME-RELATED PHYSICAL OBJECTS

• US 20120295703A1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Reiche, Paul, Batson, Charles H. III, Leyland, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,315,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• 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 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls

Abstract

A video game includes a peripheral device that senses the presence and identity of toys near or on the peripheral. Each of the toys includes an identification device such as an RFID tag. Each of the toys is also associated with a corresponding game character or object. A toy stores information about the status of the corresponding character or object in the game, for example, a character name, a score, and an owner of the toy may be stored in a character toy. The information about the toy is updated during game play. The toys may be sensed, read, and written concurrently.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for use in providing a video game, comprising:

receiving initial information from a memory of a toy, the memory of the toy including at least initial information and further information;

displaying a representation of a game character associated with the toy utilizing the initial information, without regard as to whether further information from the memory of the toy has been received;

receiving the further information from the memory of the toy; and

modifying status of the game character associated with the toy utilizing the further information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial information comprises a name of the game character associated with the toy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial information includes an identification of an object worn by the game character associated with the toy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory of the toy includes at least two sets of data areas including further information and further comprising:

receiving sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of the memory of the toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written; and

determining, utilizing the sequence values, a current one of the data areas to read at least the further information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting toys present such that information may be received from the toys present;

determining, based on changes in the toys detected relative to a previous detection of toys present, whether a toy has been added or removed;

for each toy determined to have been added, performing the receiving of the initial information from the added toy, displaying of the representation of the game character associated with the added toy, receiving of the further information from the added toy, and modifying of the status of the game character associated with the added toy; and

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of event affecting the game character associated with one of the toys;

when the determined type of event is a first type, writing, after a time period, information based on the event to the one of the toys; and

when the determined type of event is a second type, writing, without substantial delay, information based on the event to the one of the toys.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein writing information based on the event to the one of the toys comprises:

determining which of a plurality of data areas in a memory of the one of the toys is an oldest of the data areas; and

writing the information based on the event to the oldest of the data areas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting toys present utilizes radio frequency identification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting toys present utilizes optical recognition.

10. A computer implemented method for use in providing a video game, comprising:

detecting toys present in a predefined region;

determining changes in the toys detected relative to a previous detection of toys present; and

for each toy determined to have been added, adding a game character associated with the added toy to the video game,

adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game comprising;

reading sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of a memory of the added toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written;

determining, utilizing the sequence values, the current one of the data areas; and

adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game utilizing information from the current data area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game utilizing information from the current data area comprises:

reading initial information from the current data area of the memory of the added toy;

displaying a representation of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the initial information;

reading further information from the current data area of the memory of the added toy; and

modifying status of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the further information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the initial information comprises a name of the game character associated with the added toy and an identification of an object worn by the game character associated with the added toy.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a type of event affecting the game character associated with one of the toys;

when the determined type of event is a first type, writing, after a time period, information based on the event to the one of the toys; and

when the determined type of event is a second type, writing, without substantial delay, information based on the event to the one of the toys.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising writing information indicating a status of the game character associated with one of the toys, the writing comprising:

determining which of a plurality of data areas in a memory of the one of the toys is an oldest of the data areas; and

writing the information indicating a status of the game character associated with one of the toys to the oldest of the data areas.

16. A computer implemented method for providing a video game, comprising:

reading sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of a memory of a toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written, each of the data areas having data values indicating information about a game character associated with the toy;

comparing the read sequence values and a sequence value associated with cached data values to determine a latest sequence value;

processing the game character in the video game utilizing the data values associated with the latest sequence value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein when one of the read sequence values and the sequence value associated with cached data values are equally late, the sequence value associated with cached data values is determined to be the latest sequence value.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising checking the data areas for errors, and wherein the sequence value for any data area having an error is exclude from comparing the read sequence values and the sequence value associated with cached data values to determine the latest sequence value.

19. A computer implemented method for providing a video game, comprising:

determining a type of event affecting a game character;

when the determined type of event is a first type, writing, after a time period, information based on the event to a toy associated with the game character; and

when the determined type of event is a second type, writing, without substantial delay, information based on the event to the toy associated with the game character.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first type includes a change of a score of the game character.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second type includes a change of a name of the game character.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein writing the information based on the event to the toy associated with the game character comprises:

determining which of a plurality of data areas in a memory of the toy is an oldest of the data areas; and

writing the information based on the event to the oldest of the data areas.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the information based on the event is one of three sets of information, and wherein

when the information is a first set of information, writing the information based on the event to the toy associated with the game character comprises:

writing the information to a first information area in a memory of the toy,

when the information is a second set of information, writing the information based on the event to the toy associated with the game character comprises;

writing a first portion of the information to the first information area in the memory of the toy; and

writing a second portion of the information to a second information area in the memory of the toy, and

when the information is a second set of information, writing the information based on the event to the toy associated with the game character comprises;

writing a first portion of the information to the first information area in the memory of the toy;

writing a second portion of the information to the second information area in the memory of the toy; and

writing a third portion of the information to a third information area in the memory of the toy.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first information area in the memory of the toy comprises:

a first checksum for error checking of the first information area the memory;

a second checksum for error checking of the first information area in the memory and the second information area in the memory; and

a third checksum for error checking of the first information area in the memory, the second information area in the memory, and the third information area in the memory,

25. The method of claim 24, wherein when the third information area is written, the third information area is written before the second information area, and wherein when the second information area is written, the second information area is written before the first information area.

26. A peripheral for a game console, comprising:

a radio frequency identification interface configured for sensing toys proximate the peripheral;

a game console interface configured for coupling data to the game console; and

a controller coupled to the radio frequency identification interface and the game console interface, the controller configured to;

command the radio frequency identification interface to sense identifiers of toys proximate the peripheral; and

supply the identifiers of the sensed toys to the game console via the game console interface.

27. The peripheral of claim 26, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a read command from the game console via the game console interface;

command the radio frequency identification interface to read information from one of the sensed toys according to the received read command; and

supply the information read from the one of the sensed toys to the game console via the game console interface.

28. The peripheral of claim 26, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a write command from the game console via the game console interface; and

command the radio frequency identification interface to write information to one of the sensed toys according to the received write command.

29. The peripheral of claim 26, further comprising a speaker coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to command the speaker to produce sounds based on signaling received via the game console interface.

30. The peripheral of claim 26, further comprising a visual indicator coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to command the visual indicator to produce light based on signaling received via the game console interface.

31. A video game system, comprising:

a peripheral configured to sense identifiers of toys proximate the peripheral and read information from and write information to memories of the toys; and

a processor configured by program instructions, the processor data coupled to the peripheral, the program instructions comprising instructions to;

receive the identifiers of toys proximate the peripheral;

determine changes in the toys detected relative to a previous sensing of toys proximate the peripheral; and

for each toy determined to have been added, add a game character associated with the added toy to the video game,

the instructions to add the game character associated with the added toy to the video game comprising instructions to;

command the peripheral to read initial information from a memory of the added toy;

command display of a representation of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the initial information;

command the peripheral to read further information from the memory of the added toy; and

modify status of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the further information.

32. The video game system of claim 31, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to:

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

33. The video game system of claim 31, wherein the peripheral is configured to sense the identifiers of multiple ones of the toys concurrently.

34. The video game system of claim 31, wherein the peripheral is configured to sense the identifiers of the toys using radio frequency identification.

35. The video game system of claim 31, wherein the instructions to command the peripheral to read initial information from the memory of the added toy comprise instructions to:

command the peripheral to read sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of the memory of the added toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written;

determine, utilizing the sequence values, the current one of the data areas; and

command the peripheral to read the initial information from the current one of the data areas.

36. The video game system of claim 31, wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to:

command the peripheral to write information to one of the toys indicative of a status of the game character associated with the one of the toys.

37. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for a video game, the machine-readable medium comprising program instructions for:

commanding a peripheral device to detect toys present in a region;

determining changes in the toys detected relative to a previous detection of toys present; and

for each toy determined to have been added, adding a game character associated with the added toy to the video game,

the program instructions for adding the game character associated with the added toy to the video game comprising program instructions for;

commanding the peripheral device to read initial information from a memory of the added toy;

commanding display of a representation of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the initial information;

commanding the peripheral device to read further information from the memory of the added toy; and

modify status of the game character associated with the added toy utilizing the further information.

38. The medium of claim 37, wherein the initial information comprises a name of the game character associated with the added toy.

39. The medium of claim 37, wherein the initial information comprises an identification of an object worn by the game character associated with the added toy.

40. The medium of claim 37, wherein the program instructions for commanding the peripheral to read initial information from the memory of the added toy comprise program instructions for:

commanding the peripheral to read sequence values from each of a plurality of data areas of the memory of the added toy, each of the sequence values indicative of when the corresponding data area was written;

determining, utilizing the sequence values, the current one of the data areas; and

commanding the peripheral to read the initial information from the current one of the data areas.

41. The medium of claim 37, further comprising program instructions for:

for each toy determined to have been removed, removing the game character associated with the removed toy from the video game.

42. The medium of claim 37, further comprising program instructions for:

determining a type of event affecting the game character associated with one of the toys;

when the determined type of event is a first type, commanding, after a time period, the peripheral device to write information based on the event to the one of the toys; and

when the determined type of event is a second type, commanding, without substantial delay, the peripheral device to write information based on the event to the one of the toys.

43. The medium of claim 42, wherein the program instructions for commanding the peripheral device to write information based on the event to the one of the toys comprise program instructions for:

determining which of a plurality of data areas in a memory of the one of the toys is an oldest of the data areas; and

commanding the peripheral device to write the information based on the event to the oldest of the data areas.