Electromagnetically coupled building blocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914066-B2
Application number	US-201615063258-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2016
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Cletheroe Daniel
• Saul Greg
• Villar Nicolas
• Salandin Oscar
• Zhang Haiyan

Classifications

• G06T19/00

  Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics · CPC title

• A63H2200/00

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

• A63H33/042 Primary

  Mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors · CPC title

• A63H33/046

  comprising magnetic interaction means, e.g. holding together by magnetic attraction · CPC title