INTERACTIVE PLAY SETS

• US 20150375134A1
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, James William, Villar, Nicolas, Zhang, Haiyan, Bunting, Alexandra Keeley, Schuneman, Lee Jason, Rouse, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,537,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• 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

An interactive play set is described which comprises one or more active physical play pieces. In an embodiment, each active physical play piece receives data from one or more other play pieces in the play set and uses this data to generate proximity data. The proximity data describes distances between two or more play pieces from which it receives data to three or more proximity levels. The proximity data is then transmitted to an interactive entertainment experience (such as a game) which reflects changes in proximity level. For example, the changes may be visible in a graphical user interface or another play piece or audible to a user.

Claims

1. A system comprising a play set comprising one or more active physical play pieces, an active physical play piece comprising:

a receiver operative to receive signals from one or more other physical play pieces;

a distance module operative to generate proximity data using signals received by the receiver, the proximity data describing distances between two or more physical play pieces that are transmitting signals to three or more discrete levels of proximity; and

a transmitter operative to transmit proximity data to an interactive entertainment experience associated with the play set and wherein changes in proximity levels between play pieces are reflected in the interactive entertainment experience.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the play set comprises two or more active physical play pieces.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the play set further comprises one or more semi-active play pieces, a semi-active play piece comprising:

a transmitter operative to transmit signals to an active play piece.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the three or more discrete levels of proximity comprise a first level indicating a lack of proximity between play pieces, a second level indicating distant proximity between play pieces and a third level indicating close proximity between play pieces.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the three or more discrete levels of proximity further comprise one or more of:

a proximity level indicating that two play pieces are connected together; and

a proximity level indicating that one play piece is inside another play piece.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the three or more discrete levels of proximity comprise actual distances between play pieces.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein an active physical play piece further comprises a feedback device, wherein the feedback device is activated in response to a command received by the active physical play piece from the associated interactive entertainment experience.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is a wireless receiver and the transmitter is a wireless transmitter.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein an active physical play piece represents an entity in the interactive entertainment experience.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a computing device arranged to run the interactive entertainment experience.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the interactive entertainment experience comprises device-executable instructions which when executed cause the computing device to:

receive proximity data from a physical play piece; and

reflect the proximity data in the interactive entertainment experience.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein reflecting the proximity data in the interactive entertainment experience comprises one or more of:

updating a user'"'"'s progress based on the proximity data;

reflecting the proximity data in a graphical user interface;

playing sound effects based on the proximity data; and

sending a command to another physical play piece based on the proximity data.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the interactive entertainment experience further comprises device-executable instructions which when executed cause the computing device to:

present an objective to the user within the interactive entertainment experience;

determine whether the objective is met based on proximity data received; and

modify the interactive entertainment experience in response to determining that the objective has been met.

14. A method comprising:

receiving signals at an active physical play piece from one or more other physical play pieces;

generating proximity data in the active physical play piece based on signals received, the proximity data describing distances between two or more physical play pieces that are transmitting signals to three or more discrete levels of proximity; and

transmitting the proximity data from the active physical play piece to an interactive entertainment experience running on a computing device.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting signals from the active play piece to one or more other physical play pieces.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the signals transmitted from the physical active play piece to one or more other physical play pieces comprise the proximity data.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a signal from the interactive entertainment experience at an active physical play piece; and

in response to receiving the signal, controlling a feedback mechanism within the active physical play piece.

18. A method comprising:

receiving proximity data from an active physical play piece at an interactive entertainment experience, the proximity data describing distances between two or more physical play pieces that are transmitting signals to three or more discrete levels of proximity; and

reflecting the proximity data in the interactive entertainment experience.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein reflecting the proximity data in the interactive entertainment experience comprises one or more of:

updating a user'"'"'s progress based on the proximity data;

reflecting the proximity data in a graphical user interface;

playing sound effects based on the proximity data; and

sending a command to another physical play piece based on the proximity data.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the interactive entertainment experience is a game and wherein the method further comprises:

presenting an objective to a user within the game; and

modifying game play dependent upon whether the user meets the objective.