US 10,293,268 B2Granted

Block, block system, information processing apparatus, display method, and information processing method

AssigneeSony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

InventorsShinichi Hirata, Takeshi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Osawa, Keiji Togawa, Naoki Numaguchi

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Abstract

A block system 1 includes a block 102 and a host terminal 10. The block 102, configured such that two or more blocks are connectable with each other, includes a power supply mechanism 110 for supplying power to the block 102, a communication mechanism 114 for establishing connection with the host terminal 10 to transmit and receive various signals, a storage mechanism 112 for storing identification information related with the block 102, a display mechanism 118 for emitting light and displaying an image under the control of the host terminal 10, and a control mechanism 116 for executing programmed processing in accordance with a signal from the host terminal 10.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A block system comprising:

a host unit;
and
a plurality of blocks, wherein each block comprises:
a wireless communication unit for communicating wirelessly with the host unit;
and
a wired communication unit for direct communicating via a wired connection with at least a first block from the plurality of blocks;
a storage unit for storing a unique individual ID;
and
a display unit;
wherein the host unit further comprises:
a registration information storage unit for storing the unique individual ID of each of the plurality of blocks in association with a user ID;
and
a display information transmission unit for communicating with the wireless communication unit of each of the plurality of blocks;
wherein, when the host unit transitions from a building mode to a tidying-up mode, the display information transmission unit transmits, to a first subset of blocks from the plurality of blocks associated with a first user ID in the registration information storage unit, instructions to the first subset of blocks to cause the display units of the first subset of blocks to display a first color, and
wherein, during the tidying-up mode, the display information transmission unit transmits, to a second subset of blocks from the plurality of blocks associated with a second user ID in the registration information storage unit, instructions to the second subset of blocks to cause the display units of the second subset of blocks to display a second color different than the first color.

12 more elements

The method of assembling a plurality of block to form a solid object in a block building mode, the method comprising:

reading, using a host unit, assembly instructions for the solid object from a memory;
and
for each instruction step in the assembly instructions:
a) causing a block from the plurality of blocks identified in the instruction step to emit light in a predefined color;
b) displaying, on a display of the host unit, display information depicting how the block is to be connected to another block from the plurality of blocks;
c) transmitting, from a communication unit of the block, connection information indicating that the block has been connected to the another block;
and
d) causing, by the host unit, the block to stop emitting light in the predefined color upon a determination that the connection information is correct,
wherein a)-d) are repeated until each instruction step in the assembly instructions has been executed to assemble the solid object from the plurality of blocks.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/102,550Filed 19 Dec 2014
Priority: JP 2013-26994626 Dec 2013
Published: US 2016/0310861 A127 Oct 2016
Granted: 21 May 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A63H 33/042
Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts: mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic arrangements; Motors
A63F 13/25
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: output arrangements for video game devices
A63F 13/327
Using local area network [LAN] connections: using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
A63F 13/98
Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring,…