Method and apparatus for providing entertainment through an interactive device

• US 8,316,298 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aaron Conti, Donald Conti
• Original Assignee: Aaron Conti, Donald Conti
• Inventors: Conti, Aaron, Conti, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faber, David
• Application Number:
  US10/174,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,808 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715201-204, 715/701, 715/702, 345/419, 709/205, 706/16, 706/20
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/217 using environment-related information, i.e. information generated otherwise than by the player, e.g. ambient temperature or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, device, and software program for providing entertainment by way of an interactive device. The device receives environmental data by way of at least one of a plurality of sensors, optionally stores that data in a datastore, determines the presence of an event by comparing that data to previously received and stored data, and performs a conspicuous act in response to the detection of an event. In addition to performing a conspicuous act, the device can send a transmission by way of a transmission device, thereby communicating with another device or a remote network. The device auto-initiates at least one conspicuous action and modifies behavior based on responses thereto. Because multiple inputs are received, the present invention can assign priorities to the inputs, executing resulting processes in their order of priority.

Claims

1. An integrated interactive entertainment apparatus comprising:

a processing module disposed within the interactive entertainment apparatus comprising;

a central processing unit; and

memory operably coupled to the central processing unit;

a datastore;

a plurality of sensors in sensory contact with an environment integrally disposed on the interactive entertainment apparatus and operatively coupled to the central processing unit; and

a mechanism integrally disposed on the interactive entertainment apparatus for performing a conspicuous action for attracting the attention of a user by the interactive entertainment apparatus and operatively coupled to the central processing unit;

wherein the memory stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to;

receive environmental data from the environment by way of at least one of the plurality of sensors to create received data;

store the received data in a datastore to create stored data; and

perform the conspicuous action for attracting the attention of the user in response to at least one of the received data and the stored data; and

wherein the memory further stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to assign a priority to the received data to ensure execution of processes by order of importance.

2. The interactive entertainment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a transmission device operatively coupled to the central processing unit; and

wherein the memory further stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to send at least one of the received data and the stored data to a remote receiving device by way of the transmission device.

3. The interactive entertainment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to:

retrieve subsequent environmental data by way of the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors to create subsequent received data;

retrieve the stored data from the datastore; and

compare the stored data to the subsequent received data to detect an event.

4. The interactive entertainment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the event comprises a change in one of:

audio levels, light levels, temperature, global positioning, orientation, barometric pressure, vibration, proximity levels, battery levels, and transmission signals.

5. The interactive entertainment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display device operatively coupled to the central processing unit.

6. The interactive entertainment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a removable media storage device operatively coupled to the central processing unit.

7. The interactive entertainment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one other processor operatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the other processor is dedicated to the management and control of at least one operational instruction of the plurality of operational instructions.

8. An integrated interactive entertainment apparatus comprising:

a processing module disposed within the interactive entertainment apparatus comprising;

a central processing unit; and

memory operably coupled to the central processing unit;

a datastore;

a plurality of sensors integrally disposed on the interactive entertainment apparatus and operatively coupled to the central processing unit; and

a mechanism integrally disposed on the interactive entertainment apparatus for performing a conspicuous action by the interactive entertainment apparatus and operatively coupled to the central processing unit;

wherein the memory stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to;

auto-initiate at least one conspicuous action at a desired frequency;

receive environmental data by way of at least one of the plurality of sensors to create received data;

store the received data in a datastore to create stored data; and

perform the conspicuous action in response to at least one of the received data and the stored data; and

wherein the desired frequency of the auto-initiated conspicuous action is modified based upon the environmental data received responsive thereto.

9. An integrated interactive entertainment apparatus comprising:

a processing module disposed within the interactive entertainment apparatus comprising;

a central processing unit; and

memory operably coupled to the central processing unit;

a datastore;

a plurality of sensors in sensory contact with an environment integrally disposed on the interactive entertainment apparatus and operatively coupled to the central processing unit; and

a mechanism integrally disposed on the interactive entertainment apparatus for performing a conspicuous action for attracting the attention of a user by the interactive entertainment apparatus and operatively coupled to the central processing unit;

wherein the memory stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to;

receive environmental data from the environment by way of at least one of the plurality of sensors to create received data;

store the received data in a datastore to create stored data; and

perform the conspicuous action for attracting the attention of the user in response to at least one of the received data and the stored data; and

wherein the memory further stores operational instructions to cause the processing module to auto-initiate at least one conspicuous action for attracting the attention of the user at a desired frequency and modify the desired frequency of the auto-initiated conspicuous action based upon environmental data received from the environment responsive thereto.