Dynamic App Programming Environment with Physical Object Interaction

• US 20160184724A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Butler, F Brian Iannce, Tom Boeckle, Vivian Lee
• Original Assignee: Andrew Butler, F Brian Iannce, Tom Boeckle, Vivian Lee
• Inventors: Butler, Andrew, Boeckle, Tom, Iannce, F Brian, Lee, Vivian
• Application Number:
  US14/838,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20160184724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/26 Details; Accessories drive mechanisms A63H29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/36 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/003 electrically operated apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems

Abstract

An app programming environment that enables a smartphone or tablet app to incorporate real toys or objects into the app, by use of a NFC chip located in the toy or object and a database comprising information regarding the toy or object used.

Claims

1. A system for interactive play with physical and virtual elements, comprising:

at least one physical manipulative;

a computing device comprising;

a display;

a user interface;

an identification module for identifying the at least one physical manipulative;

a communication module for communicating with a server;

a server comprising a database, said database comprising;

a listing of physical manipulatives;

for each physical manipulative, at least one descriptive attribute;

wherein the computing device is configured to;

identify the physical manipulative;

look up at least one descriptive attribute associated with the physical manipulative in the database;

display or modify an animation related to the at least one descriptive attribute on the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical manipulative is one of the following group:

an animal figure, a cartoon character figure, a doll, an action figure, a vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one descriptive attribute is at least one of the following group:

personality, habits, sounds, phrases, geographic origin, size, diet, spelling of a name, pronunciation of a name, at least one Internet link.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification module comprises at least one of the following:

a camera, a NFC module, a QR reader, a bar code reader, a RF receiver, a sound detection device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

detect a motion pattern of the physical manipulative;

display or modify an animation relating to the motion pattern on the display.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical manipulative emits a sound, wherein the identification module is configured to detect the sound and to identify the physical manipulative based on the sound.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the physical manipulative emits the sound when at least one of the following actions is performed:

the physical manipulative is squeezed, the physical manipulative is pressed, the physical manipulative is moved.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the action generates energy that is used to make the physical manipulative emit the sound.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

detect an orientation of the physical manipulative;

display an animation relating to the orientation on the display.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising a first physical manipulative and a second physical manipulative, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

detect one of the following;

the relative position of the two physical manipulatives, the absolute position of each physical manipulative, the orientation of each physical manipulative;

display an animation relating to the interaction between the first physical manipulative and the second physical manipulative.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sound input device;

wherein the computing device is further configured to;

detect a sound received by the sound input device;

look up the sound in the database;

determine the physical manipulative associated with the sound;

display an animation relating to the physical manipulative and to the sound.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

detect a voice command received by the sound input device;

display an animation relating to the physical manipulative and the voice command.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the physical manipulative comprises a sound generating device, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

detect sounds emitted by the physical manipulative;

display an animation relating to the physical manipulative.

14. A method of entertaining a child, comprising:

detecting the presence of at least one physical manipulative near a computing device;

identifying the at least one physical manipulative;

using the computing device to look up at least one descriptive attribute associated with the at least one physical manipulative;

using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a motion pattern of the physical manipulative near the computing device;

using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute and the motion pattern.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting the presence of a second physical manipulative near the computing device;

using the computing device to look up at least one second descriptive attribute associated with the second physical manipulative;

using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute and the at least one second descriptive attribute.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a sound near the computing device;

using the computing device to look up a physical manipulative associated with the sound;

using the computing device to look up at least one descriptive attribute associated with the physical manipulative;

using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sound is emitted by the physical manipulative.

19. The method of claim 14, where the at least one descriptive attribute is at least one of the following group:

personality, habits, sounds, phrases, geographic origin, size, diet, spelling of a name, pronunciation of a name, link to the Internet.

20. The method of claim 14, where the at least one physical manipulative is at least one of the following group:

an animal figure, a cartoon character figure, a doll, an action figure, a vehicle.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of identifying the at least one physical manipulative is performed by at least one of the following:

a QR reader, a bar code reader, a camera, a NFC reader, a RF receiver, a sound detection device.