Electronic device and the input and output of data

• US 8,358,286 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2011
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Cannon, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, DENNIS P
• Application Number:
  US13/251,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 478 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular, to the input and output of data from the electronic device. The present invention also relates to an object that is identifiable by an electronic device having a touch screen. The object includes contact members that can engage or be positioned proximate to the touch screen. The contact members create contact points that are sensed or detected by the touch screen. The object is at least partly conductive and includes at least a first contact member and a second contact member spaced from the first contact member. The first and second contact members define the pattern of contact points. An output is generated and displayed by the touch screen when the object engages or is proximate to the touch screen and is identified.

Claims

1. A system for identifying an object, comprising:

an electronic device including a touch screen; and

an object including a conductive portion and having a first contact member engageable with the touch screen and, a second contact member engageable with the touch screen, and a third contact member engageable with the touch screen, the conductive portion being connected to the first contact member, to the second contact member, and to the third contact member, the third contact member being movably mounted on the object and movable relative to the first contact member and to the second contact member, the first contact member spaced from the second contact member by a first distance, and the third contact member being spaced from a line connecting the first and second contact members by a second distance, wherein a user can grasp the object and manipulate it relative to the touch screen so that the object is moved by the user into contact with the touch screen, and the electronic device identifies the object, the first distance being used by the electronic device to determine a category of the object and the second distance being used by the electronic device to determine the identity of the object within the category, and the electronic device generates a visual output on the touch screen based on the location and the movement of the contact points.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a first object, and the system further comprises:

a second object including a conductive portion and having a fourth contact member engageable with the touch screen and a fifth contact member engageable with the touch screen, the fourth contact member spaced from the fifth contact member by a third distance, the third distance differing from the first and second distances, wherein the electronic device identifies the second object when the fourth and fifth contact members engage the touch screen to form fourth and fifth contact points.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electronic device identifies the first object based on the first and second distances and identifies the second object based on the third distance between the fourth and fifth contact points.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a toy figure or a toy vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the third contact member is movably mounted on the object, the object being manipulatable so that the third contact member can be moved into and out of engagement with the touch screen.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the object includes an actuator coupled to the third contact member, the actuator being movable relative to the object so that movement of the actuator results in movement of the third contact member.

7. The toy of claim 1, wherein the electronic device generates a first output when a pattern of contact points is sensed by the touch screen, the conductive object is a toy weapon with a coupling mechanism for receiving and coupling the electronic device to the conductive object, the first contact member engaging the touch screen when the weapon is coupled to the electronic device, the second contact member being selectively engageable with the touch screen, and a second output different from the first output is generated when the second contact member engages the touch screen.

8. A toy for use with an electronic device including a touch screen, the electronic device being configured to generate an output when a pattern of contact points is sensed by the touch screen, the toy comprising:

a conductive object including;

a conductive portion;

a first contact member connected to the conductive portion;

a second contact member spaced from the first contact member, the second contact member being connected to the conductive portion;

a third contact member movably mounted on the object and spaced from a line connecting the first and second contact members by a second distance, the object being manipulatable so that a user can grasp and move the object relative to the touch screen and the third contact member can be moved into and out of engagement with the touch screen, the first, second, and third contact members defining the pattern of contact points when the contact members engage the touch screen, the output being generated by the electronic device when the object is identified, the first distance being used by the electronic device to determine a category of the object and the second distance being used by the electronic device to determine the identity of the object within the category.

9. The toy of claim 8, wherein the object includes an actuator coupled to the third contact member, the actuator being movable relative to the object so that movement of the actuator results in movement of the third contact member.

10. The toy of claim 8, wherein the conductive object is one of a toy vehicle or a toy figure.

11. The toy of claim 8, wherein the conductive object is an action figure, the action figure including a first appendage including the first contact member and a second appendage including the second contact member.

12. A method of identifying a conductive object using a touch screen of an electronic device, the conductive object including a conductive portion, a first contact member connected to the conductive portion, a second contact member connected to the conductive portion, and a third contact member connected to the conductive portion, the third conductive portion being movable relative to the conductive portion, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a pattern of engagement points on the touch screen when the conductive object is proximate to the touch screen, the engagement points being formed by the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member when the conductive object is grasped and positioned by a user proximate to the touch screen and the third contact member is moved proximate to the touch screen, the first contact member being spaced from the second contact member by a first distance, the third contact member being spaced from a line connecting the first and second contact members by a second distance;

determining information about the conductive object based on the engagement points, the first distance being used by the electronic device to determine a category of the conductive object and the second distance being used by the electronic device to determine the identity of the conductive object within the category; and

generating an output based on the information determined about the conductive object.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pattern of engagement points is a first pattern of engagement points and the conductive object is a first conductive object, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a second pattern of engagement points on the touch screen when a second conductive object is proximate to the touch screen, the second pattern of engagement points being different than the first pattern of engagement points;

determining information about the second conductive object based on the second pattern of engagement points; and

generating a second output based on the information determined about the second conductive object.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device uses the first point, the second point, and the third point to determine the orientation of the conductive object on the touch screen.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating an output includes generating feedback on the touch screen based on movement of the engagement points.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the feedback on the touch screen includes at least one of an image associated with the conductive object or additional content in an application running on the device.