MODULAR CONSTRUCTION FOR INTERACTING WITH SOFTWARE

• US 20150258435A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: ZHANG, Haiyan, VILLAR, Nicolas, SCOTT, James William, SAUL, Greg, BUNTING, Alexandra Keeley, SCHUNEMAN, Lee Jason, HARRISON, Philip Robert, VENABLES, Jonathan Leslie, ROBERTSON, Struan Andrew, MEJIAS STOTT, Thomas James, BHARA, Sandeep, SUNNER, Navtej
• Granted Patent: US 10,188,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/16 made of parts that can be put together facial parts only A63H3/365
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/046 comprising magnetic interaction means, e.g. holding together by magnetic attraction

Abstract

A modular assembly system is described which enables interaction with an interactive software experience such as a game. The system enables a coherent physical whole object to be assembled from a core module and one or more peripheral modules. The core module includes a battery, processor and a wireless module which is able to communicate with the interactive software experience which runs on a separate computing device such as a smartphone, tablet or games console. Each of the peripheral modules stores a module ID and these IDs are collected by the core module and communicated to the interactive software experience. The user experience within the interactive software experience changes dependent upon the set of modules which are connected to form the coherent physical whole object and may also be altered as a result of manipulation of the coherent physical whole object or individual modules.

Claims

1. A modular assembly system comprising a core module, the core module comprising:

a battery;

a wireless communications module arranged to communicate with a computing-based device running an interactive software experience;

one or more connectors for attaching peripheral modules to the core module, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules; and

a processor arranged to collect identifiers of modules physically connected to form a coherent physical whole object and communicate module data to the interactive software experience.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further arranged to detect a topology of the modules physically connected to form a coherent physical whole object.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further arranged to detect the topology by controlling hardware logic in connectors on the peripheral modules to programmatically dissect a data bus between modules in the coherent physical whole object.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more connectors is magnetic and enables rotation of the core module with respect to an adjacent connected peripheral module.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein each of the one or more connectors comprises concentric contacts and wherein an inner contact is mounted on a flexible tab to enable it to move separately from an outer contact.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein a connector comprises one or more programmable electromagnets.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the processor is arranged to control polarity of the one or more programmable electromagnets and to reverse the polarity to eject a connected module in response to a command received from the interactive software experience.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein a connector comprises a sensor for detecting an angle of attachment of the peripheral module.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more peripheral modules, the peripheral module comprising:

one or more connectors for attaching the module to a core module or a peripheral module to form part of a coherent physical whole object, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules; and

a storage element arranged to store an identifier for the module.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an additional core module.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein each core module further comprises a sensor for detecting the presence of another core, the sensor comprising one of an NFC reader and an image sensor.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the computing-based device running the interactive software experience, the computing-based device comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface arranged to communicate with a core module; and

a memory arranged to store machine-executable instructions for the interactive software experience.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the machine-executable instructions are configured to cause a change in the interactive software experience in response to receiving module data identifying a pre-defined set of modules forming the coherent physical whole object, when the instructions are executed by the processor.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the pre-defined set of modules comprises more than one core module and wherein the change in the interactive software experience comprises enabling two users to interact with the coherent physical whole object.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the interactive software experience is a game and the coherent physical whole object is a toy.

16. A modular assembly system for use with an interactive software experience, the system comprising a peripheral module, the peripheral module comprising:

one or more connectors for attaching the module to a core module or a peripheral module to form part of a coherent physical whole object, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules and the coherent physical whole object acting as a user input device for the interactive software experience; and

a storage element arranged to store an identifier for the module.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the peripheral module further comprises a processor.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the peripheral module comprises at least one of a sensor, an actuator and a display device, wherein the at least one of a sensor, an actuator and a display device are controlled using instructions received from the core module.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein each connector further comprises hardware logic configured to break connectivity of an electrical bus between modules in the coherent physical whole object in response to a command received from the core module.

20. A core module for a modular assembly system, the core module comprising:

a battery;

a wireless communications module arranged to communicate with a computing-based device running an interactive software experience;

one or more connectors for attaching peripheral modules to the core module, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules; and

a processor arranged to;

collect identifiers of modules physically connected to form a coherent physical whole object;

detect a topology of the connected modules; and

communicate module and topology data to the interactive software experience.