INTERACTIVE VIDEO GAME WITH TOYS HAVING INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS

• US 20140179446A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Russo, Jeremy, Leyland, Robert, Zuniga, Leo, Gibson, Brent, Feurstein, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 11,369,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/47
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• 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 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068

Abstract

A video game includes a peripheral device that senses the presence and identity of physical toys and/or toy parts near or on the peripheral device. Each of the toy parts and toys includes an identification device such as an RFID tag. Each of the toys parts may be combined to form a toy assembly which may be associated with a corresponding game character or object. The toy parts included in a toy assembly may store information about the status of the corresponding character or object in the game, for example, a name of characters configured using the toy part, a score, a number of times the toy part has been used, and/or a video game level achieved during video game play by a video game character associated with the toy part. The information about the toy part and configured toy assembly may be updated during game play.

Claims

1. A video game system, comprising:

a game device having an input device and a processor for executing program code for providing a videogame;

a plurality of physical parts which are physically combinable to form a toy assembly, the plurality of physical parts including memory providing a unique identification of each physical part and configured to communicate said unique identification to said game device;

said program code having instructions for providing a graphical display of a virtual character representing said toy assembly based on said unique identifications communicated from said plurality of physical parts;

said program code further having instructions providing a virtual environment for said virtual character;

wherein movement and actions of said virtual character within said virtual environment are controllable by way of inputs received by said input device independently of communication with said toy assembly.

2. The video game system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical parts are physically combinable by way of magnetic couplings, the magnetic couplings being part of the physical parts.

3. The video game system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical parts are combinable by way of electrical couplings, the electrical couplings being part of the physical parts.

4. The video game system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical parts are combinable by way of a combination of electrical couplings and magnetic couplings.

5. The video game system of claim 1, wherein said program code further has instructions for determining whether the toy assembly comprises a complete assembly.

6. The video game system of claim 5, wherein said program code further has instructions for commanding a presentation to a user if the toy assembly does not comprise a complete assembly.

7. The video game system of claim 1, wherein said program further has instructions for commanding writing of information to memory of at least some of the physical parts.

8. The video game system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the physical parts are configured to communicate said unique identification to said game device by way of communications to at least one other of the physical parts.

9. The video game system of claim 8, wherein whether the physical parts are configured to communicate said unique identification in a wireless manner.

10. The video game system of claim 9 wherein the physical parts include a wireless transmitter to communicate said unique identification in a wireless manner, and the wireless transmitter has a strength sufficiently low so as to require physical contact between toy parts to allow for successful transmission of said unique identification.

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

receiving information from a plurality of toy parts coupled together to form a toy assembly;

determining a configuration of the toy assembly based on the information from the plurality of toy parts;

displaying a virtual character corresponding to the toy assembly for use in the video game based on the determined configuration; and

conducting video game play using the virtual character.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the information includes an unique identification for a plurality of toy parts of the toy assembly.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the configuration of the toy assembly is determined based on the unique identification for the plurality of toy parts of the toy assembly.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the information includes connection information for each to part.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further including:

detecting a change in configuration of the toy assembly;

receiving information toy parts added to the to assembly;

determining a new configuration based on the information from the toy parts added;

displaying a new virtual character corresponding to the toy assembly including toy parts added for use in the video game based on the new configuration;

conducting video game play using the new virtual character.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the toy assembly comprises an action figure.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of toy parts comprises a character accessory.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the information includes attribute information for each toy part.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further including updating the attribute information for each toy part based on the video game play.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the attribute information includes at least health of the toy part.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the attribute information includes at least an experience level of the toy part.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further including:

determining whether the configuration of the toy assembly is acceptable and when the configuration is not acceptable, requesting reconfiguration of the toy assembly.

23. A video game system, comprising:

a game device including a processor, memory storing program instructions for providing for video game play, and a user input device;

a peripheral device including a surface for placing objects thereon, the peripheral device including a wireless transceiver for communicating with objects placed on the surface, the peripheral device communicatively couplable to the game device; and

a plurality of toy parts physically combinable into a toy assembly, the toy parts each including an identification of the toy part, at least one of the toy parts including a wireless transceiver for communicating with the peripheral device, at least some of the other of the toy parts including communication elements for communicating with various of the toy parts such that each of the toy parts may communicate their identification to the toy part including the wireless transceiver when combined into the toy assembly;

the program instructions for providing for video game play including program instructions for determining if the toy assembly is configured in a valid configuration, program instructions for commanding display of a character representing the toy assembly in game play, the character controllable by a user operating the user input device.

24. The toy assembly of claim 23, wherein the wireless transceiver of the at least one of the toy parts is part of an RFID tag.

25. The toy assembly of claim 23, wherein the communication elements comprise inductive communication elements.

26. The toy assembly of claim 23, wherein the communications elements comprise electrical contacts.