Electromagnetically coupled building blocks

• US 9,914,066 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cletheroe, Daniel, Saul, Greg, Villar, Nicolas, Salandin, Oscar, Zhang, Haiyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US15/063,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20170252664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 434156, 434169, 434176, 446 91, 446117, 446124, 446175, 446484
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/042 Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/046 comprising magnetic interaction means, e.g. holding together by magnetic attraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

A building block is described which has a plurality of faces each with an associated coupling element, such that a first coupling element is adjacent to a first face and a second coupling element is adjacent to a second face, etc. An RF switch in the block is arranged to selectively couple two of the coupling elements together under the control of a processor. The processor controls the RF switch in response to signals received from a transceiver module. A sensing and switching arrangement within the building block selectively connects the processor to one of the coupling elements based on a detected orientation of the block (e.g. so that power harvested from the transceiver module can be used to power the processor). The coupling elements are either all antennas or all electrodes.

Claims

1. A system comprising a plurality of building blocks, each building block comprising:

a plurality of faces;

a plurality of coupling elements, wherein a first coupling element is adjacent to a first face and a second coupling element is adjacent to a second face and wherein the plurality of coupling elements comprises a plurality of antennas or a plurality of electrodes;

an RF switch configured to selectively couple two of the plurality of coupling elements together;

a processor having an identifier and arranged to control the RF switch in response to signals received from a transceiver module; and

a sensing and switching arrangement configured to selectively connect the processor to the first or second coupling element based on a detected orientation of the block.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the orientation is detected relative to gravity, the transceiver module or an adjacent building block.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein each building block does not comprise an internal power source and wherein the processor is configured to receive power from the transceiver module via a coupling element.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is a NFC IC.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the signals are received by the processor from the transceiver module via one of the plurality of coupling elements.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further arranged to enter a low power mode after controlling the RF switch to cause the selective coupling of two coupling elements together.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second faces are top and bottom faces of the block and the sensing and switching arrangement comprises a plurality of gravity-activated switches arranged to connect the processor to the coupling element adjacent to the bottom face of the block.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the sensing and switching arrangement further comprises a plurality of resistive elements of different resistances, wherein a resistive element is connected in series with each gravity-activated switch and wherein the processor is arranged to control the RF switch in response to signals received from a transceiver module and based on a measured resistance between the processor and the coupling element adjacent to the bottom face of the block.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing and switching arrangement comprises an accelerometer and a switch arranged to connect the processor to the coupling element adjacent to a bottom face of the block based on an output of the accelerometer.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing and switching arrangement comprises a plurality of electromagnets connected to the RF switch and a plurality of magnetic switches, wherein a first electromagnet and a first magnetic switch are adjacent to the first face and a second electromagnet and a second magnetic switch are adjacent to the second face, wherein the first magnetic switch is arranged to connect the processor to the first coupling element in response to a magnetic field and the second magnetic switch is arranged to connect the processor to the second coupling element in response to a magnetic field and wherein the RF switch is further configured to selectively activate one of the electromagnets when coupling two of the plurality of coupling elements together.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing and switching arrangement comprises a plurality of contact switches, wherein a first contact switch is on the first face and a second contact switch is on the second face, wherein the first contact switch is arranged to selectively connect the processor to the first coupling element and the second contact switch is arranged to selectively connect the processor to the second coupling element.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the orientation is detected relative to an external source of power.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the sensing and switching arrangement comprises a switch arranged, in an initial state, to connect the processor to all of the coupling elements and then, in a detection phase, to sequentially disconnect each of the coupling elements and in response to a loss of power, to return to the initial state.

14. A system according to claim 1, further comprising the transceiver module and wherein the transceiver module comprises:

a coupling element;

a transceiver; and

a processor arranged to determine a topology of an assembly of building blocks by selectively controlling RF switches in each of the building blocks to activate each building block in turn and by reading the identifier of each of the building blocks.

15. A system according to claim 1, further comprising the transceiver module and wherein the transceiver module comprises:

a coupling element;

an interface to a computing device; and

a transceiver arranged to selectively control RF switches in each of the building blocks to activate each building block in turn and to read the identifier of each of the building blocks in response to control signals received from the computing device.

16. A system comprising a plurality of building blocks, each building block comprising:

a plurality of faces;

a plurality of coupling elements, wherein a first coupling element is adjacent to a first face and a second coupling element is adjacent to a second face and wherein the plurality of coupling elements comprises a plurality of antennas or a plurality of electrodes;

an RF switch configured to selectively couple two of the plurality of coupling elements together; and

a plurality of processors each having an identifier and arranged to control the RF switch in response to signals received from a transceiver module, wherein a first processor is connected to the first coupling element and a second processor is connected to the second coupling element.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein each building block does not comprise an internal power source and wherein a processor is configured to receive power from the transceiver module via a connected coupling element.

18. A method of detecting a topology of an assembly of building blocks comprising, at a building block in the assembly:

detecting an orientation of the block and based on the detected orientation, connecting a processor in the block to one of a plurality of coupling elements in the block, each coupling element being positioned adjacent to a different face of the block and the plurality of coupling elements comprising a plurality of antennas or a plurality of electrodes;

transmitting, in response to a request received from a transceiver module, an identifier for the block from the processor to the transceiver module via the coupling element connected to the processor;

in response to receiving a close signal from the transceiver module, sending a control signal from the processor to an RF switch in the block, the control signal indicating an additional coupling element of the plurality of coupling elements in the block; and

causing, by the processor, the RF switch to selectively connect the processor to the additional coupling element of the plurality of coupling elements by closing the RF switch in the block.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising, at the building block:

putting the processor into a low power state after sending the control signal from the processor to the RF switch.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising, at the transceiver module:

receiving an identifier for a first block;

sending a control signal to the first block to cause the RF switch in the first block to selectively connect a coupling element connected to the processor in the first block to an additional coupling element of the plurality of coupling elements in the first block; and

repeating the receiving and sending for any blocks adjacent to the first block, wherein the identifiers are received via the first block and the control signals are sent via the first block.