U.S. Patent No. 10,799,802: Game System
Issued October 13, 2020 to Lego AS
Filed: April 7, 2016 (Claiming priority to April 8, 2015)
Overview:
U.S. Patent No. 10,799,802 (the ‘802 patent) relates to a game system that allows a user to engage in digital gameplay via physical manipulation of a physical toy. The ‘802 patent details a game system with a detection device for detecting a physical toy. The physical toy is made out of one or more construction pieces and two or more identification elements and the construction elements of the toy can be interchangeably connected. The toy can be detected by the detection device when it is a coherent structure and when two or more identification elements are positioned within the detection area. The user can then selectively position the toy with a user-selected subset of the two or more identification elements and, in response to the detected identification elements, the gaming system controls digital gameplay.
LEGO has already expanded into the digital gaming environment with a good deal of success, with beloved games like LEGO Star Wars. The ‘802 could combine digital games and physical toys for interesting control schemes and cross over between toys and video games.
Abstract:
A game system, comprising: a data processing system configured to execute program instructions allowing a user to engage in digital game play; a physical toy; and a detection device configured to detect a presence of the toy within a detection area of the detection device; wherein the toy comprises two or more identification elements each detectable by the detection device when the identification element is positioned within the detection area, wherein the toy is configured to allow a user to selectively position the toy with a user-selected subset of one or more of said identification elements within the detection area; and wherein the data processing system is configured to control said digital game play responsive to the detected subset of identification elements.
Illustrative Claim:
- A game system, comprising: a data processing system configured to execute program instructions allowing a user to engage in digital game play; a physical toy; and a detection device configured to detect a presence of the toy within a detection area of the detection device; wherein the physical toy comprises one or more construction elements and two or more identification elements, said one or more construction elements being interchangeably connectable to said two or more identification elements; wherein the two or more identification elements are each detectable by the detection device when each of said two or more identification elements is positioned within the detection area; wherein the physical toy is a coherent structure wherein at least one of the two or more identification elements are physically interconnected with the one or more construction elements; wherein the physical toy is configured to allow a user to selectively position the physical toy with only a user-selected subset of the two or more identification elements within the detection area; and wherein the data processing system is configured to control said digital game play responsive to the detected subset of identification elements.