System and Method for Playsets Using Tracked Objects and Corresponding Virtual Worlds

• US 20130231193A1
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Heatherly, Christopher W., Shin, Christopher K., Berling, Natasha, Saygan, Robert, Mazzocco, Leonard J., Cortner Hefter, Tara
• Granted Patent: US 9,339,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• 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 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• 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 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/52 Dolls' houses, furniture or other equipment simulating liquid flow A63H33/3022; Dolls' clothing or footwear

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for playsets using tracked objects and corresponding virtual worlds. There is provided an object for use with a physical environment and connectable to a virtual world corresponding to the physical environment, the object including a processor and a plurality of sensors including a position sensor. The processor is configured to establish a first connection with the virtual world, wherein the virtual world contains a virtual object corresponding to the object, determine a position of the object using the position sensor, and send the position of the object using the first connection. There is also provided a physical environment having similar capabilities as the object.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A physical object for use with a physical environment that is connectable to a host system that accesses a virtual environment, the physical object comprising:

a figural toy that has an appearance that resembles the appearance of a virtual object in the virtual environment;

a memory within the figural toy, wherein the memory is configured to store information corresponding to the virtual object; and

a wireless interface configured to;

indicate a position of the physical object in relation to the physical environment;

communicate information stored in the memory to the physical environment; and

receive information from an interface of the physical environment to update information stored in the memory.

30. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment.

31. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the virtual object is an accessory object of a character in the virtual environment.

32. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the interface is configured to indicate whether the physical object is located proximate to the physical environment.

33. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the interface comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface.

34. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the interface comprises an infrared interface.

35. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the interface comprises an optical interface.

36. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the interface comprises an electrical interface.

37. The physical object of claim 28, wherein the interface comprises an electromagnetic interface.

29. (canceled)

38. A virtual gaming system configured to interact with a virtual environment that is accessed by a host system, the virtual gaming system comprising:

a physical environment configured to operably connect to a host system; and

a physical object comprising a figural toy that has an appearance that resembles the appearance of a virtual object in the virtual environment,

wherein the physical environment is configured to;

wirelessly sense a position of the physical object;

communicate information regarding the physical object to the host system; and

wirelessly store information to a memory within the physical object.

39. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the physical object further comprises an interface for a sensor to indicate a position of the object in relation to the physical environment.

40. The virtual gaming system of claim 39, wherein the interface comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface, and wherein the physical environment contains an RFID sensor to read information from the RFID interface.

41. The virtual gaming system of claim 40, wherein the memory within the figural toy is configured to store information regarding the physical object.

42. The virtual gaming system of claim 41, wherein the RFID sensor is configured to read information from the memory.

43. The virtual gaming system of claim 41, wherein the RFID sensor is configured to write information to the memory.

44. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment.

45. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the virtual object is an accessory object of a character in the virtual environment.

46. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the physical environment is configured to wirelessly read information from the memory of the physical object and transmit the information to the host system.

47. The virtual gaming system of claim 46, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment, and wherein the information read from the memory and transmitted to the host system updates a state of the character in the virtual environment.

48. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the physical environment is configured to receive information from the host system and wirelessly write information to the memory of the physical object.

49. The virtual gaming system of claim 48, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment, and wherein the information written to the memory comprises event information corresponding to activities of the character in the virtual environment.

50. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the physical environment is configured to operably connect to the host system through a universal serial bus (USB) connection.

51. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the physical environment is configured to operably connect to the host system through a wireless connection.

52. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the host system is a computer.

53. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, wherein the host system is a console.

54. The virtual gaming system of claim 38, further comprising a computer-readable medium configured to operate with the host system to access the virtual environment.

55. A method for using a physical object and a physical environment to interact with a virtual environment accessed with a host system connected to the physical environment, the method comprising:

wirelessly determining a presence of the physical object proximate to the physical environment using a sensor at the physical environment;

sending information regarding the presence of the physical object to the host system;

changing a state of a virtual object in the virtual environment according to the presence of the physical object;

receiving information at the physical environment from the host system; and

wirelessly writing the information received at the physical environment to a memory of the physical object;

wherein the physical object comprises a figural toy, and wherein the virtual object has an appearance that resembles an appearance of the figural toy.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

wirelessly reading information stored in a memory of the physical object through the sensor at the physical environment;

transmitting the read information from the memory to the host system; and

changing the state of the virtual object according to the read information.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein changing the state of the virtual object comprises making the virtual object appear in the virtual environment.

59. The method of claim 55, wherein changing the state of the virtual object comprises unlocking use of the virtual object in the virtual environment.

60. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

wirelessly determining a presence of a second physical object proximate to the physical environment;

sending information regarding the presence of the second physical object to the host system;

changing a second state in the virtual environment according to the presence of the second physical object.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein changing the second state in the virtual environment comprises changing another state of the virtual object.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein changing the second state in the virtual environment comprises changing a state of a second virtual object in the virtual environment, wherein the second virtual object has an appearance that resembles and appearance of the second physical object.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein the second physical object comprises an accessory object corresponding to a feature of the character in the virtual environment.

64. The method of claim 55, wherein wirelessly determining a presence of the physical object proximate to the physical environment comprises detecting a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in the physical object.

65. The method of claim 56, wherein wirelessly reading information stored in the memory of the physical object comprises reading the information from an RFID interface in the object.

66. The method of claim 55, wherein wirelessly writing the information received at the physical environment to the memory of the physical object comprises transmitting the information to an RFID interface in the physical object.

57. (canceled)