Registration of wireless encounters between wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10441879-B2
Application number	US-201715473487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

There is provided a first toy device that wirelessly and periodically transmits, using a transceiver, a first unique ID number, wirelessly receives, using the transceiver, a second unique ID number from a second toy device, stores the second unique ID number in the memory. Further, when the first toy device is in communication with a gaming device having a gaming application, the first toy device retrieves the second unique ID number from the memory, and transmits the retrieved second unique ID number to the gaming device to inform the gaming application of an encounter between the first toy device and the second toy device for use in the gaming application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first toy device comprising:
a hardware processor;
a haptic sensor;
a memory having a first unique identification (ID) number associated with the first toy device, and a software code; and
a transceiver;
wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to:
wirelessly and periodically transmit, using the transceiver, the first unique ID number;
wirelessly receive, using the transceiver, a second unique ID number from a second toy device;
store the second unique ID number in the memory;
receive a haptic input data via the haptic sensor; and
store the haptic input data and a timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data in the memory;
wherein when the first toy device is in communication with a gaming device having a gaming application:
retrieve the second unique ID number, the haptic input data and the timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data from the memory; and
transmit the retrieved second unique ID number, the haptic input data and the timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data to the gaming device to inform the gaming application of an encounter between the first toy device and the second toy device for use in the gaming application.

2. The first toy device of claim 1 , wherein storing the second unique ID number in the memory further comprises storing proximity information corresponding to a distance between the first toy device and the second toy device.

3. The first toy device of claim 2 , wherein the proximity information further comprises a relative signal strength indictor (RSSI) data.

4. The first toy device of claim 2 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to transmit the proximity information to the gaming device.

5. The first toy device of claim 1 , wherein the memory further comprises a response database, and wherein the hardware processor is further configured to execute the software code to:
determine a response by the first toy device using the response database and the second unique ID number; and
generate the response via an output module.

6. The first toy device of claim 5 , wherein the output module comprises a speaker, and the response comprises an audio response.

7. The first toy device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic sensor further comprises a haptic motor and an accelerometer.

8. The first toy device of claim 1 , wherein storing the second unique ID number in the memory includes storing a timestamp corresponding the second unique ID number.

9. A method for use by a first toy device including a hardware processor, a haptic sensor, a transceiver, and a memory having a first unique identification (ID) number associated with the first toy device and a software code for execution by the hardware processor to perform the method comprising:
wirelessly and periodically transmitting, using the transceiver, the first unique ID number;
wirelessly receiving, using the transceiver, a second unique ID number from a second toy device;
storing the second unique ID number in the memory;
receiving a haptic input data via the haptic sensor; and
storing the haptic input data and a timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data in the memory;
retrieving, when the first toy device is in communication with a gaming device having a gaming application, the second unique ID number, the haptic input data and the timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data from the memory; and
transmitting the retrieved second unique ID number, the haptic input data and the timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data to the gaming device to inform the gaming application of an encounter between the first toy device and the second toy device for use in the gaming application.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein storing the second unique ID number further comprises storing proximity information corresponding to a distance between the first toy device and the second toy device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the memory further comprises a response database, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a response by the first toy device using the response database and the second unique ID number; and
generating the response via an output module.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the output module comprises a speaker and the response comprises an audio response.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the haptic sensor further comprises a haptic motor and an accelerometer.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein storing the second unique ID in the memory includes storing a timestamp corresponding to receiving the second unique ID number.

15. A gaming system comprising:
a game server including a server processor and a server memory having a master application for a game stored thereon;
a gaming device; and
a first toy device having a hardware processor, a memory having a first unique ID number associated with the first toy device and a software code, and a transceiver;
wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to:
wirelessly and periodically transmit, using the transceiver, the first unique ID number;
wirelessly receive, using the transceiver, a second unique ID number from a second toy device;
store the second unique ID in the memory;
receive a haptic input data via the haptic sensor;
store the haptic input data in the memory;
obtain proximity information corresponding to a distance between the first toy device and the second toy device;
when the first toy device is in communication with the gaming device having a gaming application:
retrieve the second unique ID, the haptic input data and the proximity information from the memory; and
transmit the retrieved second unique ID, the haptic input data and the proximity information to the gaming device

wherein the gaming device is configured to relay the second unique ID number, the proximity information, and the haptic input data to the game server, and wherein the server processor is configured to execute the master application to:
receive the second unique ID number, the proximity information, and the haptic input data from the gaming device;
update a game state of the game based on the second unique ID number, the proximity information, and the haptic input data; and
transmit an updated game state data to the gaming device.

16. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the gaming device comprises:
a device processor; and
a device memory having the gaming application stored thereon;
wherein the device processor is configured to execute instructions of the gaming application to provide a graphical user interface for interacting with the game.

17. The gaming system of claim 15 , wherein the gaming device is configured to:
receive a timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data from the first toy device; and
store the timestamp corresponding to the haptic input data in the memory.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Panec Timothy
• Goslin Michael P
• Thornton Steve

Classifications

• A63F13/73

  Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity · CPC title

• A63F13/71

  using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players · CPC title

• A63F13/44

  involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot · CPC title

• A63F13/216

  using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS · CPC title

• A63F13/35

  Details of game servers · CPC title