System and method for playsets using tracked objects and corresponding virtual worlds

• US 9,339,729 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Heatherly, Christopher W., Shin, Christopher K., Berling, Natasha, Saygan, Robert, Mazzocco, Leonard J., Cortner Hefter, Tara
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/860,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20130231193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 463 31- 43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• 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 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/52 Dolls' houses, furniture or other equipment simulating liquid flow A63H33/3022; Dolls' clothing or footwear

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for playsets using tracked objects and corresponding virtual worlds. There is provided an object for use with a physical environment and connectable to a virtual world corresponding to the physical environment, the object including a processor and a plurality of sensors including a position sensor. The processor is configured to establish a first connection with the virtual world, wherein the virtual world contains a virtual object corresponding to the object, determine a position of the object using the position sensor, and send the position of the object using the first connection. There is also provided a physical environment having similar capabilities as the object.

Claims

1. A virtual gaming system configured to interact with a virtual environment that is accessed by a host system, the virtual gaming system comprising:

a physical environment configured to operably connect to the host system;

a physical object comprising a figural toy that has an appearance that resembles the appearance of a virtual object in the virtual environment, wherein the physical object includes a physical object identifier; and

a physical accessory of the physical object, wherein the physical accessory includes a physical accessory identifier;

wherein the physical environment is configured to;

wirelessly sense a position of the physical object in relation to the physical environment, by identifying the physical object identifier using at least one of infrared, radio frequency identification (RFID), electromagnetics, electrical fields and optics;

wirelessly sense the physical accessory, using the physical accessory identifier;

communicate a first information regarding the physical object, including the position of the physical object, to the host system; and

wirelessly store a second information to a memory within the physical object.

2. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical object further comprises an interface for a sensor to indicate the position of the physical object in relation to the physical environment.

3. The virtual gaming system of claim 2, wherein the interface comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface, and wherein the physical environment contains an RFID sensor to read the first information from the RFID interface.

4. The virtual gaming system of claim 3, wherein the memory within the figural toy is configured to store the first information regarding the physical object.

5. The virtual gaming system of claim 4, wherein the RFID sensor is configured to read the first information from the memory.

6. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment.

7. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical environment is configured to wirelessly read the first information from the memory of the physical object and transmit the first information to the host system.

8. The virtual gaming system of claim 7, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment, and wherein the first information read from the memory and transmitted to the host system updates a state of the character in the virtual environment.

9. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical environment is configured to receive the second information from the host system and wirelessly write the second information to the memory of the physical object.

10. The virtual gaming system of claim 9, wherein the virtual object is a character in the virtual environment, and wherein the second information written to the memory comprises event information corresponding to activities of the character in the virtual environment.

11. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical environment is configured to operably connect to the host system through a universal serial bus (USB) connection.

12. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical environment is configured to operably connect to the host system through a wireless connection.

13. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the host system is a computer.

14. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the host system is a console.

15. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium configured to operate with the host system to access the virtual environment.

16. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the position of the physical object in relation to the physical environment corresponds to an area in the virtual environment.

17. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical object includes an accessory detector configured to detect the physical accessory.

18. The virtual gaming system of claim 17, wherein the physical environment is further configured to:

wirelessly obtain a third information from the physical object relating to detecting the physical accessory; and

communicate the third information relating to detecting the physical accessory to the host system.

19. The virtual gaming system of claim 18, wherein a virtual accessory object corresponding to the physical accessory is displayed in the virtual environment.

20. The virtual gaming system of claim 17, wherein the physical accessory is a physical furniture in the physical environment with a corresponding virtual furniture in the virtual environment.

21. The virtual gaming system of claim 1, wherein the physical environment is configured to communicate a third information regarding the physical accessory to the host system.