Storing state for physical modular toys

• US 9,526,979 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Saul, Greg, Scott, James William, Villar, Nicolas, Zhang, Haiyan, Bunting, Alexandra Keeley, Schuneman, Lee Jason, Harrison, Philip Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US14/204,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• 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

Abstract

A modular assembly system is described in which each module comprises a storage element which stores an identifier for the module and data relating to the module. At least some of the module data is variable and is updated based on user interaction with an interactive software experience (e.g. state data). Each module also comprises one or more connectors for connecting to other modules to form a coherent physical whole object. In an embodiment, the system further comprises the interactive software experience which provides user objectives which can only be satisfied by the user interacting with the object or with modules that form the object. At least one of the modules in the object comprises a communication module which passes identifiers and module data to the interactive software experience and receives updated module data from the interactive software experience for storing in one of the modules in the object.

Claims

1. A modular assembly system for use with an interactive software experience, the system comprising a module and the module comprising:

one or more connectors for attaching other modules to the module to form a coherent physical whole object, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules; and

a storage element arranged to store an identifier of the module and module data for the module, wherein at least a portion of the module data is updated in use by the interactive software experience in response to user interaction, the module data comprising at least one of permissions, price, or acquisition data of the module.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communications module arranged to transmit the identifier and some or all of the module data to a computing-based device running the interactive software experience and to receive the updated module data from the interactive software experience.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communications module is further arranged to transmit at least a part of the module data to a module in a proximate object.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the module data comprises state data associated with the interactive software experience.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the state data associated with the interactive software experience is updated in use by the interactive software experience in response to user interaction with the interactive software experience.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the module data comprises state data which is independent of an interactive software experience.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data passed between modules via the one or more connectors comprises at least one of the identifier and a part of the module data.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the module data comprises executable files comprising the interactive software experience or a part of the interactive software experience.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the module data comprises a model of the module for use in the interactive software experience.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the module data comprises data for use by the software experience in rendering a graphical representation of the coherent physical whole object.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the interactive software experience and wherein the interactive software experience is arranged to change its operation in response to module data received from one or more modules forming the coherent physical whole object.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the interactive software experience is a game.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the interactive software experience is arranged to provide directed interaction by presenting objectives to a user that can only be achieved by user interaction with one or modules in the object.

14. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a remote server arranged to store additional module data for the module.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the module is arranged to exhibit a perceptible physical change in response to a predefined change in the module data.

16. A method of operation of a modular assembly system, the method comprising:

transmitting an identifier and module data from a module to an interactive software experience, wherein the module comprises one or more connectors for attaching other modules to the module to form a coherent physical whole object, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules; and

a storage element arranged to store the identifier of the module and the module data;

transferring at least a part of the module data between the module and a second module forming part of a physically separate proximate coherent physical whole object;

receiving updated module data from the interactive software experience, the updated module data having been generated based on user interaction with the interactive software experience or the object; and

storing the updated module data in the storage element in the module.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

presenting, within the interactive software experience, one or more user objectives, wherein at least one objective requires a user to interact with the object to achieve the objective.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein operation of the interactive software experience is changed in response to module data received from one or more modules forming the coherent physical whole object.

19. A modular assembly system comprising a module and the module comprising:

one or more connectors for attaching other modules to the module to form a coherent physical whole object, each connector being arranged to pass data and power between modules;

a storage element arranged to store an identifier of the module and module data for the module;

a communications module arranged to transmit the identifier and module data to a computing-based device running the interactive software experience and to receive updated module data from the interactive software experience, the updated module data being generated in response to user interaction with the interactive software experience; and

the communications module further arranged to transfer at least a part of the module data between the module and a second module forming part of a physically separate proximate coherent physical whole object.

20. A modular assembly system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the modules is at least one of a body part, accessory, or component of a playset for a human, animal, or fantasy character.