System and method for an interactive device for use with a media device

• US 9,522,341 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Prestenback, Kyle, Tahler, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US13/972,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20130340004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods for an interactive device for interaction with a user of a media device, wherein the interactive device and the media device are operable to communicate with a server having a memory storing a plurality of states including a present state of the media device playing a media. The interactive device comprises a peripheral hardware for interaction with the user of the media device and a processor configured to establish a communication with the server, obtain the present state of the media device from the server, select an action in response to the present state of the media, and execute the action using the peripheral hardware for interaction with the user of the media device. The interactive device can operate independently of the server or with several interactive devices connected to the server.

Claims

1. An interactive device operable to interact with a playback device playing a video on a display, the interactive device comprising:

a peripheral hardware for interaction with a user of the interactive device;

a non-transitory memory including a record of past interactions of the user with the playback device using the interactive device;

a processor configured to;

wirelessly transmit a state information relating to a present state of the interactive device, wherein the state information includes at least one of a present behavioral state and a present appearance state of the interactive device and causes the playback device to modify the video being played by the playback device based on the at least one of the present behavioral state and the present appearance state of the interactive device;

wirelessly receive one or more codes generated by the playback device while playing the video on the display, the one or more codes relating to one or more events occurring in the video being played by the playback device on the display; and

execute one or more actions in response to each of the one or more codes using the peripheral hardware.

2. The interactive device of claim 1, wherein the one or more codes are one or more time codes.

3. The interactive device of claim 2, wherein the one or more codes include information relating to the video.

4. The interactive device of claim 3, wherein the information includes at least one of a chapter number, a title number, an angle selection and a time offset.

5. The interactive device of claim 3, wherein the interactive device is in communication with a server, and the processor is configured to wirelessly receive the one or more codes generated by the playback device from the server.

6. The interactive device of claim 1, wherein the one or more codes control an outward appearance of the interactive device, and wherein the outward appearance of the interactive device includes at least one of a body posture, a facial configuration, a color, a clothing and an accessory of the interactive device.

7. The interactive device of claim 1, wherein the one or more codes cause the interactive device to present an emotional behavior.

8. The interactive device of claim 7 , wherein the emotional behavior presented by the interactive device includes acting scared.

9. The interactive device of claim 1, wherein the video has a plurality of segments each associated with one of a plurality of time codes, and wherein the state information modifies a present time code associated with a first segment of the video being played by the playback device to a different time code associated with a second segment of the video for playing the second segment by the playback device in response to receiving the state information.

10. A method for use by an interactive device operable to interact with a playback device playing a video on a display, the interactive device having a processor, a non-transitory memory including a record of past interactions of a user with the playback device using the interactive device, and a peripheral hardware for interaction with the user of the interactive device, the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, using the processor, a state information relating to a present state of the interactive device, wherein the state information includes at least one of a present behavioral state and a present appearance state of the interactive device and causes the playback device to modify the video being played by the playback device based on the at least one of the present behavioral state and the present appearance state of the interactive device;

wirelessly receiving, using the processor, one or more codes generated by the playback device while playing the video on the display, the one or more codes relating to one or more events occurring in the video being played by the playback device on the display; and

executing one or more actions in response to each of the one or more codes using the peripheral hardware.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more codes are one or more time codes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more codes include information relating to the video.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information includes at least one of a chapter number, a title number, an angle selection and a time offset.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive device is in communication with a server, and the wirelessly receiving receives the one or more codes generated by the playback device from the server.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more codes control an outward appearance of the interactive device, and wherein the outward appearance of the interactive device includes at least one of a body posture, a facial configuration, a color, a clothing and an accessory of the interactive device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more codes cause the interactive device to present an emotional behavior.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the emotional behavior presented by the interactive device includes acting scared.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the video has a plurality of segments each associated with one of a plurality of time codes, and wherein the state information modifies a present time code associated with a first segment of the video being played by the playback device to a different time code associated with a second segment of the video for playing the second segment by the playback device in response to receiving the state information.

19. A media device for interaction with an interactive device, the media device comprising:

a processor configured to;

play a video on a display;

wirelessly receive, while playing the video on the display, a present state information of the interactive device, wherein the present state information includes at least one of a present behavioral state and a present appearance state of the interactive device;

modify the video being played on the display based on the at least one of the present behavioral state and the present appearance state of the interactive device; and

wirelessly transmit one or more codes generated while playing the video on the display, the one or more codes relating to one or more events occurring in the video being played on the display, wherein the one or more codes cause the interactive device to execute one or more actions.

20. The media device of claim 19, wherein the video has a plurality of segments each associated with one of a plurality of time codes, and wherein the state information modifies a present time code associated with a first segment of the video being played by the playback device to a different time code associated with a second segment of the video for playing the second segment by the playback device in response to receiving the state information.