Systems, methods, and devices for assisting play

• US 8,332,544 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: King, Paul, Ralls, Chaun J., Cheeseman, Andrew, Young, Michael, Marx, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry W. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Titus
• Application Number:
  US13/050,842
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for assisting play are disclosed. In some examples, the system may include a portable computer including a user interface configured to receive input from a user, and a computer communication mechanism configured to transmit computer data based, at least in part, on the received user input; and a plurality of portable devices each including an enclosure, a device communication mechanism within the enclosure and configured to receive the computer data, a proximity sensor mechanism configured to detect proximity of one or more other portable devices of the plurality of portable devices, and an audiovisual output mechanism configured to generate at least one of an audio output and a visual output based on at least one of (1) the received computer data and (2) the detected proximity of the one or more other portable devices.

Claims

1. A system for assisting play, comprising:

a portable computer including;

a user interface configured to receive input from a user; and

a computer communication mechanism configured to transmit computer data based, at least in part, on the received user input; and

a plurality of portable devices each including;

an enclosure;

a proximity sensor mechanism within the enclosure and configured to detect proximity of one or more other portable devices of the plurality of portable devices;

a device communication mechanism configured to receive the computer data, transmit proximity data to the portable computer based on the detected proximity, and receive proximity data from the portable computer; and

an audiovisual output mechanism configured to generate at least one of an audio output and a visual output,

wherein;

the computer communication mechanism is further configured to receive first proximity data from a first portable device of the plurality of portable devices and transmit the first proximity data to a second portable device of the plurality of portable devices based, at least in part, on the received user input,

the computer communication mechanism is further configured to receive second proximity data different from the first proximity data from the second portable device, and transmit the second proximity data to the first portable device based, at least in part, on the received user input,

the device communication mechanism of the first portable device is configured to receive the second proximity data from the portable computer,

the device mechanism of the second portable device is configured to receive the first proximity data from the portable computer,

the audiovisual output mechanism of the first portable device is configured to generate at least one of a first audio output and a first visual output in response to the second proximity data received from the portable computer, and

the audiovisual output mechanism of the second portable device is configured to generate at least one of a second audio output and a second visual output in response to the first proximity data received from the portable computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portable device further includes a vibration output mechanism contained within the enclosure and configured to vibrate the enclosure based on the second proximity data received from the portable computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portable device further includes a health sensor mechanism configured to detect one or more health characteristics of a user, the audiovisual output mechanism being further configured to generate at least one of an audio output and a visual output based on the detected one or more health characteristics of the user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the health sensor mechanism is further configured to detect a heart rate of a user, and the audiovisual output mechanism is further configured to generate at least one of an audio output and a visual output when the detected heart rate exceeds a predetermined threshold rate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of portable devices includes at least one aperture sized to receive one of a strap, a chain, and a cord.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein the device communication mechanism of the first portable device is further configured to transmit health characteristics data to the portable computer based on the detected health characteristics, and wherein the computer communication mechanism is further configured to receive the health characteristics data from the first portable device and transmit the health characteristics data to the second portable device based, at least in part, on the received user input.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the device communication mechanism of the second portable device is configured to receive the health characteristics data from the portable computer, and the audiovisual output mechanism of the second portable device is configured to generate at least one of an audio output and a visual output based on the health characteristics data received from the portable computer.

6. A method of assisting play with a portable computer and a plurality of portable devices, comprising

detecting, via a first proximity sensor mechanism of a first portable device of the plurality of portable devices, proximity of one or more other portable devices of the plurality of portable devices;

transmitting, via a device communication mechanism of the first portable device, first proximity data to the portable computer based on the detected proximity;

receiving, via a computer communication mechanism of the portable computer, the first proximity data from the first portable device;

receiving, via the computer communication mechanism of the portable computer, second proximity data from a second portable device of the plurality of portable devices;

transmitting, via the computer communication mechanism, the first proximity data to the second portable device;

transmitting, via the computer communication mechanism, the second proximity data to the first portable device;

receiving, via the device communication mechanism of the first portable device, the second proximity data from the portable computer

receiving, via the device communication mechanism of the second portable device, the first proximity data from the portable computer;

generating, via an audiovisual mechanism of the first portable device, at least one of a first audio output and a first visual output in response to the second proximity data received from the portable computer; and

generating, via an audiovisual mechanism of the second portable device, at least one of a second audio output and a second visual output in response to the first proximity data received from the portable computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the generating, via the audiovisual mechanism of the first portable device, at least one of the second audio output and the second visual output, is after a predetermined time period that has elapsed from when the at least one of the first audio output and the first visual output was generated.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating, via a vibration mechanism of the first portable device, a vibration output based on the second proximity data received from the portable computer.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting, via a health sensor mechanism of the first portable device, one or more health characteristics of a user of the first portable device.

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, via a device communication mechanism of the second portable device, the first proximity data from the portable computer; and

generating, via an audiovisual mechanism of the second portable device, at least one of a third audio output and a third visual output in response to the first proximity data received from the portable computer.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, via the device communication mechanism of the first portable device, health characteristics data based on the detected health characteristics to the portable computer;

receiving, via the computer communication mechanism of the portable computer, the health characteristics data from the first portable device; and

transmitting, via the computer communication mechanism of the portable computer, the health characteristics data to the second portable device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, via the device communication mechanism of the second portable device, the health characteristics data from the portable computer; and

generating, via the audiovisual mechanism of the second portable device, at least one of a fourth audio output and a fourth visual output based on the health characteristics data received from the portable computer.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed, implement a method for assisting play, the method comprising;

receiving first proximity data from a first portable device indicating that the first portable device is within a predetermined threshold distance from one or more other portable devices;

receiving second proximity data from a second portable device indicating that the second portable device is within a predetermined threshold distance from one or more other portable devices;

transmitting the second proximity data to the first portable device instructing the first portable device to generate at least one of a first audio output and a first visual output in response to the transmitted second proximity data; and

transmitting the first proximity data to the second portable device instructing the second portable device to generate at least one of a second audio output and a second visual output based on the transmitted first proximity data.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the second proximity data to the first portable device instructing the first portable device to generate a vibration output based on the transmitted second proximity data.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises receiving health data that includes one or more health characteristics of a user of the first portable device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises transmitting the first proximity data to the second portable device instructing the second portable device to generate a vibration output based on the transmitted first proximity data.