Data store for a modular assembly system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649920-B2
Application number	US-201816109117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 11, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A data store for a modular assembly system is described. The data store comprises a number of records, each record relating to a physical module in the modular assembly system and comprising a module ID, an owner ID for the module and one or more properties fields. The properties field(s) define any property of the module and different records may define different properties. At least one of the fields in each data record (e.g. the module ID or owner ID) is verified by an authentication service. A user assembles two or more modules into a coherent physical whole object to act as a user input device to an interactive software experience. The data store communicates with the interactive software experience and causes a change in behavior of the interactive software experience in response to a check of the data records for each of the modules in the object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A core module for use with an interactive software experience, comprising:
a storage element arranged to store an identifier of the core module and module data for the core module, the module data including executable files comprising at least a part of the interactive software experience; and
a processor configured to wirelessly collect identifiers from one or more peripheral modules attached to the core module, the core module and the one or more peripheral modules collectively comprising a modular system.

2. The core module of claim 1 , further comprising one or more magnetic attachment points for attaching the one or more peripheral modules to the core module.

3. The core module of claim 1 , further comprising a communication interface configured to send the identifier of the core module and the identifiers of the one or more peripheral modules to the interactive software experience.

4. The core module of claim 3 , where the the processor is further configured to collect module data for the one or more peripheral modules, and the communication interface is further configured to send the module data for the core module and the module data for the one or more peripheral modules to the interactive software experience.

5. The core module of claim 4 , where at least a portion of the module data for the core module and the module data for the one or more peripheral modules is updated in use by the interactive software experience.

6. The core module of claim 4 , where the module data for the core module comprises a model of the core module for use by the interactive software experience.

7. The core module of claim 3 , where the communications interface sends the identifier of the core module and the identifiers of the one or more peripheral modules to a computing-based device executing the interactive software experience.

8. The core module of claim 7 , where an operation of the interactive software experience is changed based on one or both of the identifier of the core module and the identifiers of the one or more peripheral modules.

9. The core module of claim 8 , where one or both of the identifier of the core module and identifiers of the one or more peripheral modules enable a previously inaccessible functionality of the interactive software experience.

10. The core module of claim 1 , where the module system comprising of the core module and one or more peripheral modules is a modular toy.

11. The core module of claim 10 , where an operation of the interactive software experience is changed based on a unique combination of core and peripheral modules comprising the modular toy.

12. A method of operation for a core module, comprising:
via a processor, wirelessly collecting identifiers from one or more peripheral modules attached to the core module, the core module and the one or more peripheral modules collectively comprising a modular system; and
transmitting an identifier of the core module, the identifiers of the one or more peripheral modules, and module data for the core module to an interactive software experience, such that an operation of the interactive software experience is changed based on the identifier of the core module and the identifiers of the one or more peripheral modules, where the module data includes executable files comprising at least a part of the interactive software experience.

13. The method of claim 12 , where the one or more peripheral modules are attached to the core module via one or more magnetic attachment points of the core module.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, via the processor, collecting module data from the one or more peripheral modules, and transmitting the module data for the core module and the module data for the one or more peripheral modules to the interactive software experience.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving updated module data for the core module from the interactive software experience, the updated module data having been generated based on use of the core module with the interactive software experience.

16. The method of claim 15 , where the module data for one or both of the core module and one or more peripheral modules enables a previously inaccessible functionality of the interactive software experience.

17. The method of claim 12 , where the module system comprising of the core module and one or more peripheral modules is a modular toy.

18. The method of claim 17 , where an operation of the interactive software experience is changed based on a unique combination of core and peripheral modules comprising the modular toy.

19. A modular system for use with an interactive software experience, the modular system comprising:
a core module; and
one or more peripheral modules attached to the core module via one or more magnetic attachment points of the core module;
where the core module further comprises:
a storage element arranged to store an identifier of the core module and module data for the core module, the module data including executable files comprising at least a part of the interactive software experience; and
a processor configured to wirelessly collect identifiers from the one or more peripheral modules attached to the core module.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Villar Nicolas
• Zhang Haiyan
• Scott James William
• Saul Greg
• Bunting Alexandra Keeley
• Schuneman Lee Jason
• Harrison Philip Robert

Classifications

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• A63F13/245

  specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• A63H2200/00

  Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls · CPC title

• G06F13/102 Primary

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title