Multiplayer game platform for toys fleet controlled by mobile electronic device

• US 9,550,129 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamir Nave
• Original Assignee: Tamir Nave
• Inventors: Nave, Tamir
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US15/027,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• 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 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/00 Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; convertible into other toys A63H33/003; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor traffic games with figures moved by players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A multi-player game platform comprising: at least one mobile electronic device (MED) comprising a processor and configured to execute programmable commands of a control software application; said at least one MED additionally comprising a display configured to provide GUI (Graphical User Interface) means for receiving user input and providing output to a user, a digital camera and communication components configured to communicate with at least one toy, said at least one MED is one of a master MED, wherein said control software application is a master application and a slave MED, wherein said control software application is a slave application; and at least one electro-mechanical toy wirelessly controlled by the control software application, said toy comprising a CPU, a digital memory, a chassis and at least one sensor, said digital memory configured to store a toy software application configured to manage the toy according to commands from the control software application, wherein said digital camera is configured to capture images of said toys and wherein said display is configured to display said captured images, said GUI comprising means for selecting and controlling toys from said displayed image, said processor comprising image processing means configured to process said captured images.

Claims

1. A method of moving a toy in a game comprising physical and virtual components, comprising the steps of:

capturing an image of a game arena comprising at least one toy and a background;

displaying said captured image;

selecting a toy from said display;

said selecting comprises touching said displayed toy, calculating the center of the touched area on said display and defining a window of predefined size and shape around said calculated center;

identifying said toy and its current coordinates in the game arena;

selecting a destination point on said display;

calculating said destination point coordinates in the game arena; and

automatically moving said selected toy towards said calculated destination point coordinates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying said toy comprises identifying according to a specific pattern.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying according to a specific pattern comprises using one of:

image recognition algorithm, histogram of number of blinking LEDs per time unit and brightness histogram.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically moving said selected toy comprises tracking said toy, calculating said toy'"'"'s current motion parameters and automatically controlling the motion parameters towards said selected destination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said toy'"'"'s motion parameters comprise velocity and direction.