Wirelessly powered gaming device
First Claim
1. A wirelessly-chargeable hand-held gaming device for playing or directing a computer-animated game at least in part by moving or rotating the entire body of said gaming device in free space, said gaming device comprising:
- a portable housing sized and adapted to be held by a user and moved in free space to play or direct a computer-animated game, said housing having an internal cavity formed therein sized and adapted to receive or contain one or more rechargeable batteries and associated circuitry for powering and operating said gaming device;
one or more motion sensors disposed within said housing configured and arranged to generate sensor output data responsive to one or more sensed motions of said portable housing as it is moved or rotated in free space;
non-volatile memory configured to store at least one unique identifier for uniquely identifying said gaming device;
at least one internal radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to provide a first wireless communication link with at least one external RF receiver;
at least one internal RF receiver configured to provide a second wireless communication link with at least one external RF transmitter;
at least one inductance coil or antenna sized and arranged to generate pulses of electrical energy when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field; and
a rectifier electrically coupled to said at least one inductance coil or antenna arranged and adapted to convert said pulses of electrical energy into storable electrical energy stored in said one or more rechargeable batteries;
said gaming device configured to be wirelessly charged when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field and to wirelessly communicate at least said sensor output data and said unique identifier to an associated wireless-compatible device when held and operated by a user.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide an interactive toy or gaming device for actuating various interactive play effects within a compatible play environment. The gaming device comprises a portable housing having an internal cavity configured to receive one or more batteries or other power sources for powering the device. Optional lighting, laser or sound effects may be provided as well as one or more optionally-powered infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) wireless communications devices. The interactive toy or gaming device may also comprise an optional RFID (radio frequency identification device) transponder that is operable to provide relatively short-range non-battery-powered RF communications with one or more receivers or transceivers provided within a compatible play environment. The interactive toy or gaming device may further include an optional magnetic inductance energy source or motion-generated energy source for wirelessly powering the device by motion and/or using an externally applied electromagnetic field.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A wirelessly-chargeable hand-held gaming device for playing or directing a computer-animated game at least in part by moving or rotating the entire body of said gaming device in free space, said gaming device comprising:
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a portable housing sized and adapted to be held by a user and moved in free space to play or direct a computer-animated game, said housing having an internal cavity formed therein sized and adapted to receive or contain one or more rechargeable batteries and associated circuitry for powering and operating said gaming device; one or more motion sensors disposed within said housing configured and arranged to generate sensor output data responsive to one or more sensed motions of said portable housing as it is moved or rotated in free space; non-volatile memory configured to store at least one unique identifier for uniquely identifying said gaming device; at least one internal radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to provide a first wireless communication link with at least one external RF receiver; at least one internal RF receiver configured to provide a second wireless communication link with at least one external RF transmitter; at least one inductance coil or antenna sized and arranged to generate pulses of electrical energy when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field; and a rectifier electrically coupled to said at least one inductance coil or antenna arranged and adapted to convert said pulses of electrical energy into storable electrical energy stored in said one or more rechargeable batteries; said gaming device configured to be wirelessly charged when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field and to wirelessly communicate at least said sensor output data and said unique identifier to an associated wireless-compatible device when held and operated by a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A wirelessly-chargeable portable wireless gaming device for playing or directing a computer-animated game, said wireless gaming device comprising:
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a body comprising an internal cavity sized and configured to receive one or more rechargeable batteries and associated circuitry configured to power and operate said wireless gaming device; a display screen configured to display game-relevant information; a user input interface configured to enable a user to input one or more commands or data; a microprocessor; non-volatile memory electrically coupled to said microprocessor configured to store at least one unique identifier for uniquely identifying said wireless gaming device; a first radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured and adapted to provide two-way wireless communication with a first wireless-compatible device over a wireless communication range greater than 10 feet; a second RF transceiver configured and adapted to provide two-way wireless communication with a second wireless-compatible device over a wireless communication range less than 60 cm; at least one inductance coil sized and arranged to generate pulses of electricity when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field; and a rectifier electrically coupled to said at least one inductance coil arranged and adapted to convert said pulses of electricity into storable electrical energy adapted to be stored by said one or more rechargeable batteries; said wireless gaming device configured to;
i) wirelessly charge said one or more rechargeable batteries when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field, and ii) wirelessly communicate said unique identifier and said one or more commands or data to said first wireless-compatible device or said second wireless-compatible device when said wireless gaming device is held and operated by a user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 51)
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38. A wirelessly-chargeable portable gaming device for playing or directing a game, said portable gaming device comprising:
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a body comprising an internal cavity sized and configured to receive one or more electrical energy storage devices and associated circuitry configured to power and operate said portable gaming device; a microprocessor; non-volatile memory electrically coupled to said microprocessor configured to store at least one unique identifier for uniquely identifying said portable gaming device; at least one internal radio frequency (RF) transmitter configured to provide a first wireless communication link with at least one external RF receiver and wherein said first wireless communication link is facilitated at least in part through magnetic inductive coupling; at least one internal RF receiver configured to provide a second wireless communication link with at least one external RF transmitter and wherein said second wireless communication link is facilitated at least in part through magnetic inductive coupling; at least one inductance coil sized and arranged to generate pulses of electricity when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field; a rectifier electrically coupled to said at least one inductance coil arranged and adapted to convert said pulses of electricity into storable electrical energy adapted to be stored in said one or more electrical energy storage devices; and energy management circuitry configured to selectively switch the portable gaming device between a sleep or lower-power state and an active or higher-power state to thereby conserve or reduce overall power-consumption, said energy management circuitry configured such that when the portable gaming device is in a sleep or lower-power state and is brought within a certain range of an external RF transmitter the energy management circuitry switches the portable gaming device to an active or higher-power state; said portable gaming device configured to be wirelessly charged when exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field and to wirelessly communicate said unique identifier and selected game-relevant information to an associated wireless-compatible device when held and operated by a user. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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52. A method for wirelessly charging and operating a motion-sensitive portable electronic gaming device wherein the portable electronic gaming device comprises a housing having an internal cavity formed therein sized and adapted to receive and contain one or more internal power sources for powering said portable electronic gaming device, said method comprising:
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inserting into said internal cavity a magnetic inductance energy generator comprising;
i) an inductance coil sized and arranged such that when it is exposed to an externally-generated electromagnetic field electrical pulses are generated, ii) a rectifier configured to convert said electrical pulses into storable electrical energy, iii) a capacitor or rechargeable battery configured to store said storable electrical energy for powering said portable electronic gaming device, and iv) a voltage regulator configured to stabilize or regulate the voltage of said capacitor or rechargeable battery;exposing said inductance coil to said externally-generated electromagnetic field to thereby generate said electrical pulses and wirelessly charge said capacitor or rechargeable battery with said storable electrical energy; and using the wirelessly charged portable electronic gaming device to play a game wherein the game is controlled or directed at least in part by moving or rotating the entire body of said portable electronic gaming device in free space; whereby said portable electronic gaming device is configured to be wirelessly charged and operated by a user without wires or electrical connectors between said portable electronic gaming device and an external energy source. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification