Modular computer applications with expandable capabilities
First Claim
1. For use in conjunction with a computer having means for accessing and executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the instructions, when executed, (i) causing presentation of an interactive application thereon and (ii) determining capabilities of the application, a modular device comprising a housing having circuitry interactive with the computer, the housing being adapted to receive physical tokens therein, the tokens governing the instructions executed by the computer so as to determine the capabilities of the application;
- andwherein the tokens are each in the form of a disc combinable with other such discs within the housing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The range of functionality of a variable-capability computer application, such as a game, is determined by physical tokens introduced into a device connected to the computer. The application may operate in accordance with instructions downloaded to the computer via a computer network, and the capabilities embodied in those instructions are determined by the physical tokens.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. For use in conjunction with a computer having means for accessing and executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the instructions, when executed, (i) causing presentation of an interactive application thereon and (ii) determining capabilities of the application, a modular device comprising a housing having circuitry interactive with the computer, the housing being adapted to receive physical tokens therein, the tokens governing the instructions executed by the computer so as to determine the capabilities of the application;
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wherein the tokens are each in the form of a disc combinable with other such discs within the housing.
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2. For use in conjunction with a computer having means for accessing and executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the instructions, when executed, (i) causing presentation of an interactive application thereon and (ii) determining capabilities of the application, a modular device comprising a housing having circuitry interactive with the computer, the housing being adapted to receive physical tokens therein, the tokens governing the instructions executed by the computer so as to determine the capabilities of the application,
wherein the computer further comprises circuitry for causing establishment of a network communication to a server, the stored instructions further causing download and storage of instructions from the server via the network connection, the downloaded instructions determining the capabilities of the application; - and further comprising a plurality of the tokens, the tokens being combinable and collectively determining the instructions downloaded from the server.
- View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A modular device for controlling the interactive capabilities of an application executable on a computer, the device comprising:
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a. circuitry for facilitating presentation, on the computer, of an interactive application thereon;
b. processing circuitry for storing and executing instructions implementing the application; and
c. a housing adapted to receive physical tokens therein, the housing comprising circuitry responsive to the tokens and interactive with the processing circuitry so as to govern the executed instructions in a modular fashion dictated by the tokens, thereby determining the interactive capabilities of the application; and
wherein the tokens are each in the form of a disc combinable with other such discs within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of implementing an interactive computer application, the method comprising:
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a. providing a housing adapted to receive physical tokens therein;
b. introducing at least one physical token into the housing;
c. storing instructions implementing the application; and
d. causing execution of the application on a computer in accordance with the instructions and responsive to the at least one token in the housing, the at least one token governing the executed instructions in a modular fashion and thereby determining the interactive capabilities of the application;
e. causing establishment of a network connection to a server; and
f. downloading and storing instructions from the server via the network connection, the instructions downloaded from the server being determined by the at least one physical token and themselves determining the capabilities of the application; and
further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of the tokens and stacking them within the housing, the stacked tokens collectively determining the instructions downloaded from the server. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of implementing an interactive computer application, the method comprising:
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a. providing a housing adapted to receive physical tokens therein;
b. introducing at least one physical token into the housing;
c. storing instructions implementing the application; and
d. causing execution of the application on a computer in accordance with the instructions and responsive to the at least one token in the housing, the at least one token governing the executed instructions in a modular fashion and thereby determining the interactive capabilities of the application;
wherein the at least one token is in the form of a disc stackable with other such discs within the housing; and
wherein the tokens are in the form of discs having first and second faces and a surrounding edge, the edge of one of the tokens comprising a display, and further comprising the step of causing the display to impart an observable signal. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification