System and method for providing state information of an action figure

• US 9,474,964 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jumo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jumo, Inc.
• Inventors: Yano, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US14/622,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/30, 463/39, 463/42, 446/484, 434/365
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/00 Dolls puppets or marionettes for shows or theatres A63J19/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In certain implementations, state information of an action figure may be provided via wireless communication. As an example, a device may be detected within a short wireless communication range of an action figure. A wireless connection between the action figure and the device may be established based on the detection. Sensor information may be obtained via one or more sensors of the action figure. Action figure state information identifying a position of a moveable part of the action figure relative to another part of the action figure may be generated based on the sensor information. The relative position may be related to a pose exhibited by the action figure. The state information may be provided to the device via the wireless connection. A virtual counterpart of the action figure may be presented based on the relative position such that the virtual counterpart exhibits the same pose as the action figure.

Claims

1. A method of providing state information of an action figure via wireless communication, the method being implemented on the action figure which includes one or more physical processors executing computer program instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the action figure, a device within a short wireless communication range;

establishing, by the action figure, based on the detection, a wireless connection between the action figure and the device;

obtaining, by the action figure, sensor information via one or more sensors of the action figure;

generating, by the action figure, based on the obtained sensor information, state information identifying a position of a moveable part of the action figure relative to another part of the action figure, wherein the relative position of the moveable part is related to a pose exhibited by the action figure;

providing, by the action figure, the state information to the device via the established wireless connection;

detecting, by the action figure, a second action figure within a second short wireless communication range;

establishing, by the action figure, based on the detection of the second action figure, a second wireless connection between the action figure and the second action figure;

obtaining, by the action figure, from the second action figure via the established second wireless connection, second action figure state information identifying a state of the second action figure; and

providing, by the action figure, the second action figure state information to the device via the established wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor information comprises movement information related to a movement of the moveable part, and

wherein generating the state information comprises generating the state information based on the movement information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the movement information comprises at least one of directional information related to a direction of the movement of the moveable part, distance information related to a distance covered by the movement of the moveable part, velocity information related to a velocity of the movement of the moveable part, acceleration information related to an acceleration of the movement of the moveable part, or orientation information related to an orientation of the moveable part during the movement of the moveable part, and

wherein generating the state information comprises generating the state information based on at least one of the directional information, the distance information, the velocity information, the acceleration information, or the orientation information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the moveable part of the action figure comprises a movable appendage of the action figure, and the other part of the action figure comprises at least one of another moveable appendage of the action figure or a body of the action figure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the action figure, distance information via one or more cameras of the action figure, wherein the distance information is related to a distance of one or more other objects from the action figure;

generating, by the action figure, based on the distance information, third state information identifying a state of the action figure related to at least one of the one or more other objects or an environment of the action figure; and

providing, by the action figure, the third state information to the device via the established wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the action figure, physical impact information related to a physical impact on the action figure via the one or more sensors;

generating, by the action figure, based on the physical impact information, third state information identifying a state of the action figure; and

providing, by the action figure, the third state information to the device via the established wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the short wireless communication range comprises at least one of a Near Field Communication (NFC) range, Bluetooth communication range, or a Wi-Fi communication range.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the action figure, from an accessory of the action figure, information related to the accessory;

obtaining, by the action figure, second sensor information via the one or more sensors;

generating, by the action figure, based on the information related to the accessory and the second sensor information, third state information identifying a state of the action figure.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting, by action figure, the accessory of the action figure within a short wireless communication range; and

establishing, by the action figure, based on the detection of the accessory, a wireless connection between the action figure and the accessory,

wherein obtaining the information related to the accessory comprises obtaining the information related to the accessory from the accessory via the established wireless connection between the action figure and the accessory.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the action figure, based on the obtained sensor information, action figure behavior information identifying a behavior of the action figure; and

providing, by the action figure, the action figure behavior information to the device via the established wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the state information further identifies a state of the action figure related to an environment of the action figure based on environmental sensor data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the environmental sensor data comprises temperature sensor data or water sensor data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the action figure, from the device via the established wireless connection, information related to a virtual counterpart of the action figure, wherein the virtual counterpart represents the action figure in a virtual environment presented by the device;

generating, by the action figure, based on the information related to the virtual counterpart, second state information identifying a state of the action figure; and

providing, by the action figure, the second state information to the device via the established wireless connection.