Interactive entertainment devices interchangeably arrangable in adjacent manner

• US 8,439,757 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cepia LLC
• Original Assignee: Cepia LLC
• Inventors: Hornsby, James Russell, McGowan, Joseph L., Reynolds, Michael C., Fink, Steven, Jeffway, Robert W. Jr., Casino, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/271,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20120077597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 463/1, 463/39, 463/40
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 11/00 Self-movable toy figures
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls

Abstract

An entertainment device is configured to receive a limited range wireless signal from at least one other entertainment device when adjacently arranged in close physical proximity to at least one other entertainment device, and to responsively operate in a first mode or a second mode based on whether the other entertainment device is adjacent a first side or second side. In the first mode, the entertainment device initiates one or more wireless activation signals to control an audio/visual element of another entertainment device. In the second mode, the entertainment device receives wireless activation signals from another entertainment device to control activation of an audio/visual element of the receiving entertainment device. Each device is interchangeable between operation in the first mode of controlling at least one other entertainment device and the second mode of being controlled by another entertainment device based on position of one entertainment device relative to the other.

Claims

1. An interactive arrangement of entertainment devices, comprising:

at least two entertainment devices, each entertainment device having a first communication device on a first side and a second communication device on a second side of the entertainment device, which are configured to receive a limited range wireless signal from at least one other entertainment device when the at least two entertainment devices are adjacently arranged in a spaced apart manner in close physical proximity to each other, each entertainment device being configured to operate in a first mode of controlling the at least one other entertainment device or a second mode of being controlled by the at least one other entertainment device based on whether the other entertainment device is adjacent the first communication device on the first side or the second communication device on the second side of the entertainment device;

wherein each entertainment device is configured to transmit a wireless polling signal intended for at least one other entertainment device and to initiate operation in the first mode upon receiving a wireless signal from at least one other entertainment device indicating that at least one other entertainment device is adjacent a first right side of the entertainment device transmitting the wireless polling signal;

wherein each entertainment device is configured to initiate operation in the second mode upon receiving a wireless polling signal from at least one other entertainment device indicating that at least one other entertainment device is adjacent a left side of the entertainment device receiving the wireless polling signal;

wherein at least one entertainment device operating in the first mode initiates one or more wireless activation signals to control activation of an audio/visual element of at least one other entertainment device; and

wherein the at least one other entertainment device operating in the second mode receives one or more wireless activation signals for an audio/visual element from at least one other entertainment device.

2. The interactive arrangement of entertainment devices of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual element of each entertainment devices comprises a light emitting device, and one entertainment device operable in the first mode is configured to initiate activation signals to control activation of its light emitting device and a light emitting device of at least one other entertainment device according to a timing sequence for generating a blinking light pattern over time.

3. The interactive arrangement of entertainment devices of claim 2, wherein the entertainment device configured to operate in the first mode is configured to initiate activation signals to control activation of its light emitting device and a light emitting device of at least one other entertainment device without actuation by a user of any user input button.

4. The interactive arrangement of entertainment devices of claim 1, wherein the audio/visual element of each of the entertainment devices comprises a speaker, and the entertainment device that is operable in the first mode is configured to transmit activation signals to control activation of its speaker and a speaker of at least one other entertainment device according to a timing sequence for generating a song or melody over time.