Wireless element and toy or educational system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a wireless element and a toy or educational system. A wireless element for a toy or educational system, comprising: a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a user device, where the wireless communication interface comprises a transmitter module and a receiver module; a status indicator adapted to provide a first output perceptible to a user according to a group status of the wireless elements, the group status indicating a temporary group of wireless elements to which the wireless elements belong; and a processor operatively coupled to the status indicator and the wireless communication interface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to elements for a toy or educational system and a toy or educational system comprising such elements. BACKGROUND

[0002] Modular toy elements and educational systems that leverage the advantages of modular toy systems to enhance learning and play experiences have been known and favored for many years. Systems used as toys and / or for educational purposes can include a variety of different functional interactive / collaborative elements that can be arranged, combined, and assembled for an edutainment experience. Such edutainment experiences can involve multiple users at the same time. Furthermore, such edutainment experiences can often be set up and conducted for multiple groups of users at the same time. Such users and / or groups of users can work, play, and act together in many different environments, such as a science class, an interesting STEM / STEAM educational project, a construction competition, a robot challenge, a role-playing game, a theme park or other themed entertainment, a treasure hunt, or just a group of users getting together for a creative play. Depending on the setup, users of such systems can include children and learners of all ages.

[0003] Existing toy systems or educational systems often use wired connections to link different elements (such as switches, sensors, motors, light and / or sound emitters, controllers, and processors) together. While these wired connections are useful, they can sometimes challenge or even limit the possibilities of freely combining different interactive and / or collaborative elements of a system. As a result, certain game or educational experiences can not be possible at all. UTILITY CONTENT

[0004] In some toy systems, such as wand duels or role-playing systems, this problem has been addressed by linking the various elements of the game system together using wireless communication. However, as more and more elements are added to the system, or when many users participate in an edutainment experience, these systems often fail to address the problem of high data traffic loads and interference. Such systems using wireless elements also often fail to address the problem of unintentional cross-talk between different elements of the system, or interference with other devices using the same wireless communication infrastructure. Some users can also need to divide a set of interactive wireless elements into multiple subsets to facilitate selectively interacting with the wireless elements in one subset without interfering with other subsets of wireless elements when creating a functional toy construction model, solving an educational challenge, or setting up an interactive game experience using interactive wireless elements. For example, a user can want to define functional subgroups of a more complex machine, or define team subsets of devices in an interactive game experience with multiple teams.

[0005] Therefore, in setups involving multiple interactive or collaborative elements in toys or educational systems, there is a common need to facilitate selective interaction within a subset of elements (e.g., elements belonging to a user group, construction model, or game set) without interfering with other subsets of wireless elements (e.g., wireless elements belonging to other users, another construction model, or another game set).

[0006] In addition, an improved, user-friendly setup procedure is needed to manage multiple groups involving multiple participants or groups of participants, each group working with its own set of wireless components.

[0007] In some cases using toys or educational systems with wireless components, it is desirable to establish paired wireless connections between at least some of the wireless components and the user device (e.g., a laptop, PC, tablet, or smartphone). Such paired wireless connections are very useful, for example, for transferring large amounts of data, updating firmware or software in the wireless components, or directly programming (or modifying) the wireless components.

[0008] Furthermore, as mentioned above, toys or educational systems containing multiple wireless elements may require considerable flexibility in grouping these elements for interactive play or educational experiences. Changes to these groupings can occur frequently and intermittently, for example, to form new groups or regroup, depending on the game or educational task. Therefore, the number of wireless elements or groups within a set is determined by the user and can change during a given game or educational task. Consequently, in any use and configuration of the toy or educational system, it is desirable to promote, or at least accommodate, the flexibility and reconfigurability of this interactive experience in an intuitive manner.

[0009] According to some embodiments, at least some of the aforementioned challenges are addressed by implementing a process for establishing a pairing connection between a user equipment and members of a wireless element group, wherein the group is a temporary group created based on user interaction with the wireless element.

[0010] According to the scheme disclosed herein, the routine for establishing a pairing connection between a user equipment and a temporarily defined set or subset of wireless elements of a toy or educational system is simple and intuitive, and the set or subset can be flexibly configured and reconfigured, as will be described in further detail below.

[0011] A first aspect of this disclosure relates to a wireless element for use in a toy or educational system, wherein the wireless element includes: a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a user device, wherein the wireless communication interface includes a transmitter module and a receiver module; a status indicator adapted to provide a user-perceptible first output based on a group status of the wireless element, the group status indicating a temporary group of wireless elements to which the wireless element belongs; and a processor operatively coupled to the status indicator and the wireless communication interface.

[0012] Optionally, the wireless communication interface is configured to perform wireless communication with the user equipment according to the Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

[0013] Optionally, the temporary group of wireless elements is identified by a group identifier, and the wireless element is configured to maintain the group identifier.

[0014] Optionally, the wireless communication interface is further configured to send an announcement message identifying the group identifier.

[0015] Optionally, the wireless element is configured to change the corresponding device name to a temporary device name in response to user interaction with the wireless element, the temporary device name including information about the group identifier.

[0016] Optionally, the wireless element further includes a token reader, which is adapted to retrieve group configuration data stored on the group token when the group token is placed in the vicinity of the token reader.

[0017] Optionally, the token reader may include an RFID reader or an NFC reader.

[0018] Optionally, the wireless element is configured to set the group state of the wireless element based on group configuration data read from the group token.

[0019] Optionally, the wireless communication interface is also configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more other wireless elements in the temporary group of wireless elements.

[0020] Optionally, the wireless element further includes a sensor adapted to generate sensor data representing an interaction or attribute detected by the sensor, and to broadcast the sensor data as one or more announcement messages, wherein the announcement messages include a group status of the wireless sensor element.

[0021] Optionally, the wireless element may also include a functional device adapted to provide a second output that is perceptible to the user.

[0022] Optionally, the wireless element further includes control circuitry adapted to control the functional device to generate the user-perceptible second output.

[0023] Optionally, the wireless element is a modular construction element of a modular construction system.

[0024] Optionally, the wireless element is further configured to send an announcement message that indicates pairing availability only in response to user interaction with the wireless element.

[0025] Optionally, the wireless element may also include an input device adapted to collect input from a user or a sensor.

[0026] Optionally, the wireless element is configured to update its group status based on user interaction received through the input device, the user interaction indicating that the wireless element be included in a temporary wireless element group created by the user.

[0027] A second aspect of this disclosure relates to a toy system comprising: a plurality of wireless elements according to this disclosure; and a user equipment.

[0028] Optionally, the system may also include one or more group tokens, each carrying group configuration data that indicates a group identifier.

[0029] Optionally, the user equipment is configured to obtain configuration data indicating a group identifier from a group token, and set a target group identifier based on the received configuration data.

[0030] Optionally, the user equipment is configured to obtain user input indicating a group identifier and set group identifiers for a plurality of the wireless elements based on the received user input.

[0031] A third aspect of this disclosure relates to an education system, wherein the system includes: a plurality of wireless elements according to this disclosure; and a user equipment.

[0032] Optionally, the system may also include one or more group tokens, each carrying group configuration data that indicates a group identifier.

[0033] Optionally, the user equipment is configured to obtain configuration data indicating a group identifier from a group token, and set a target group identifier based on the received configuration data.

[0034] Optionally, the user equipment is configured to obtain user input indicating a group identifier and set group identifiers for a plurality of the wireless elements based on the received user input.

[0035] This disclosure also relates to a toy or educational system comprising a plurality of wireless elements and a user equipment; wherein each of the plurality of wireless elements includes a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the user equipment; and wherein each wireless element is configured to maintain a group identifier in response to a user interaction with the wireless element, the user interaction instructing the wireless element to be included in a temporary group of wireless elements established by the user, and the group identifier identifying the temporary group, and to send an advertisement message identifying the wireless element and the group identifier maintained by the wireless element; wherein the user equipment includes a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the plurality of wireless elements, and wherein the user equipment is configured to receive information about a target group identifier, receive advertisement messages from one or more of the plurality of wireless elements, each advertisement message identifying a wireless element available for pairing, and the advertisement message also identifying the group identifier of the wireless element available for pairing, and selectively initiate a pairing operation with a wireless element from which the user equipment receives an advertisement message identifying the wireless element available for pairing and identifying the target group identifier.

[0036] Wireless elements can be any interactive element suitable for use in entertainment and / or educational environments, where groups of wireless elements can be configured to provide a linked interactive user experience in combination. Typically, to achieve this linked interactive user experience, the wireless elements are also adapted to communicate with each other to bring about the linked interactive experience. As described further in detail below, the wireless communication interface of each of the plurality of wireless elements is typically also configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more other wireless elements. As described below, in some embodiments, the wireless elements in a temporary group can form a paired connection to communicate with each other. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the wireless elements in a temporary group do not form a paired connection for communicating with each other.

[0037] Users of toys or educational systems can select multiple wireless elements from a range of wireless components and group the selected wireless elements for an interactive user experience using links. Selection and grouping are influenced by user interaction, allowing the user explicit control over the grouping. Selection, grouping, and regrouping typically occur temporarily during the normal use of the toy or educational system, i.e., in a play and / or educational environment, for its intended purpose.

[0038] User interaction with a wireless element can be one or more of the following: presenting an RFID / NFC tag, performing group-specific gestures using the wireless element, activating buttons or other user interfaces (UI) on the wireless element, reading a QR code, reading an optical code and / or color, etc. User interaction with a wireless element allows the user to explicitly indicate the intention to establish a temporary group including the wireless element, and provides mechanisms for user-initiated and / or user-controlled temporary groups of wireless elements.

[0039] The term "ad-hoc group" as used herein refers to a group of wireless components in a toy or educational system that is user-created (or user-selectable). Due to the highly dynamic nature of the interactive games and educational projects in toys or educational systems, the number of wireless components in a user-created ad-hoc group may vary and is not predetermined (e.g., in a factory environment). Typically, ad-hoc groups allow for variable group sizes, meaning the number of wireless components in an ad-hoc group can change during the use of the toy or educational system. Once an ad-hoc group is defined and identified as a target group relative to the user equipment, the user equipment can selectively initiate a pairing operation, as detailed below.

[0040] Temporary groups of wireless elements can be dynamically created, and users can selectively add or remove elements from these groups. Generally, temporary groups can be formed at any point in time while operating a toy or educational system. Therefore, group membership can change dynamically, even after some members have already been paired with a user device. To handle this dynamic behavior, each wireless element includes a dedicated handler for temporary group formation. This handler responds to user interactions related to temporary group formation and is configured to track the current temporary group membership of the wireless element and share this information via announcement messages. The temporary group formation handler is a mechanism by which each wireless element is configured to maintain a group identifier in response to user interactions that indicate the inclusion of the wireless element in a user-created temporary group of wireless elements, and the group identifier identifying the temporary group, and to send an announcement message identifying the wireless element and the group identifier maintained by the wireless element. This supports the highly dynamic nature of typical user interactions with toys or educational systems.

[0041] If applicable, the corresponding user interactions for expressing user intent, as described above regarding user interactions with wireless elements, can also be performed on the user equipment in a similar manner, for example, to provide information about a target group identifier, such as to establish a pairing connection with a member of a target temporary group that can be used for pairing.

[0042] The user equipment can be any suitable data processing device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, personal computer, etc. The user equipment has a display, such as a graphics display, configured to present information about the pairing process to the user, or has an equivalent output device to allow a visually impaired user to access the information. In some embodiments, the wireless element does not have a display and / or is not adapted to present a list of wireless elements available for pairing by the user.

[0043] The user equipment (UE) differs from the wireless components of a toy or educational system. However, the UE may run operating software, including user interface software, general-purpose web interface software configured to allow communication with the wireless components of the toy or educational system, and / or dedicated application software. Therefore, the UE can be specifically designed for a toy or educational system. The UE can communicate with one or more wireless components of the toy or educational system, for example, for the configuration, updating, and / or maintenance of the wireless components. The UE can also participate in the use of the toy or educational system by communicating with one or more wireless components, for example, to program, configure, and / or control one or more wireless components during any play or educational task.

[0044] In some embodiments, the user equipment can also be used to communicate with wireless elements of a toy or educational system that simulates one or more wireless elements, for example, to simulate and test, to illustrate or develop functionality, or for any other interesting purpose or educational task. In some embodiments, the user equipment can also be configured to simulate one or more wireless elements of a toy or educational system, for example, to communicate with one or more of a plurality of wireless elements in a toy or educational system. In this way, the user equipment can act as a wireless element, such as a sensor element, and can also be assigned a group identifier, such as a target group identifier. The user equipment can then send (e.g., broadcast) an announcement message to a given group (e.g., a target group) based on the group identifier. The user equipment can also listen for announcement messages from a given group, such as announcement messages from the target group, based on the group identifier, and establish a pairing connection with the corresponding member of that group (e.g., the target group that has received the announcement message).

[0045] In some embodiments, a user equipment may be configured to maintain a group identifier in response to a user interaction with the user equipment, the user interaction indicating that the user equipment should be included in a temporary group of wireless elements established by the user, and the group identifier identifying the temporary group.

[0046] Pairing operations can be automatic (without user intervention, e.g., transparent to the user) or involve / require user interaction, such as prompting the user to confirm the start of pairing. For example, the user device can selectively initiate a pairing operation, including prompting the user for a list of temporary group members available for pairing, and indicating where the user can confirm completion. For instance, the user can confirm by selecting one or more wireless elements from the list of temporary group members provided by the user device, or the user can activate a button on one or more wireless devices available for pairing.

[0047] Therefore, the toy or educational system disclosed herein provides a highly flexible, modular, and user-friendly way to handle paired wireless connections between user equipment and temporary groups of wireless elements.

[0048] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, the wireless communication interface between the user equipment and the wireless element is configured to perform wireless communication according to a standardized wireless communication protocol (preferably the Bluetooth Low Energy standard). Any standardized protocol suitable for operating the wireless communication infrastructure can be used, such as infrastructure protocols compliant with Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth BLE, ZigBee, Z-wave, or similar radio frequency broadcast infrastructures, with the Bluetooth Low Energy standard being preferred. This provides a standardized, reliable, and energy-efficient protocol for communication between the user equipment and the wireless element of the toy or educational system. This offers a high degree of flexibility, for example, in selecting user equipment that can connect to the wireless element of the toy or educational system. The resulting enhanced portability allows a wider user base to benefit from the toy or educational system.

[0049] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, each sent notification message includes a device name, which identifies the wireless element sending the notification message. This facilitates rapid and selective responses, thereby enabling reliable temporary group management and minimizing response latency to temporary group changes.

[0050] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, in response to the user interaction, each wireless element is configured to change its device name to a temporary device name, which includes information about a group identifier identifying the temporary group. This further facilitates rapid and selective responses, thereby enabling reliable temporary group management and minimizing response latency to temporary group changes. Additionally, temporary group membership can thus be easily determined based on the device name, for example, on a user interface prompting the user to complete a pairing process. This enhances the user-friendliness of the system.

[0051] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, the temporary device name includes a code encoding a graphical representation of a group identifier that identifies the temporary group, specifically an emoji representing the group identified by the group identifier, and wherein the user device is configured to display the encoded graphical representation in a list of wireless elements available for pairing. This further facilitates rapid and selective responses, thereby enabling reliable temporary group management and minimizing response latency to temporary group changes. Additionally, temporary group membership can be more easily determined by a wider user base based on the device name, for example, on a user interface prompting the user to complete a pairing process. Specifically, this embodiment allows overcoming certain limitations, such as illiteracy, dyslexia, color blindness, etc., thereby enabling a wider user base to access the system without barriers. This further enhances the user-friendliness and accessibility of the system.

[0052] In some embodiments, the wireless elements in a temporary group may form paired connections with each other. In some embodiments, the wireless elements in a temporary group do not form paired connections with each other.

[0053] Advantageously, embodiments of this disclosure allow operation of multiple wireless elements in a broadcast group, each wireless element comprising at least one or more transmitters and one or more receivers. In some embodiments, the broadcast group may correspond to a temporary group formed by a user to selectively interact with a set of wireless elements in a toy or educational system. For example, when operating in combination within a group, a user may want to program or modify the interactive behavior of the wireless elements, for instance, to adapt their behavior to a given project or task. Operating multiple wireless elements in such a broadcast group allows for the construction of linked, interactive user experiences from multiple wireless elements in a highly flexible and modular manner by combining the functionality of the multiple wireless elements that selectively communicate with each other in the broadcast group and configuring their individual and / or combined behavior.

[0054] A system and scheme for grouped wireless broadcasting in toys or educational systems is disclosed in co-pending international patent application PCT / EP2024 / 067483, which is incorporated herein by reference. In short, a broadcast group can be defined, for example, by using a group token carrying group configuration data. To read the configuration data, the wireless element includes a reader suitable for reading the configuration data, typically an optical data reader, etc., when the group token is brought near the wireless element using Near Field Communication Technology (NFC). The required proximity is referred to as the reading distance. Data messages can be broadcast using one or more data channels of a wireless communication infrastructure, such as an infrastructure compliant with Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth BLE, ZigBee, Z-wave, or similar radio frequency broadcasting infrastructure. When a wireless element is assigned to a given broadcast group, the transmitter marks the broadcast data message with a corresponding group identifier, which can then be used by receivers in the broadcast group to select data messages destined for them. This facilitates the selective transmission of data messages from one or more transmitters to one or more receivers only within the broadcast group. Although the receiver can receive any data message broadcast through one or more data channels, it only processes selected messages, thus avoiding potential interference from other nearby broadcast groups and reducing wasted processing power. This type of packet broadcasting is particularly useful in toy or educational system environments, such as a classroom environment where multiple users or user groups can operate adjacent to each other, and each user or user group uses multiple wireless elements configured to interact with each other, such as in educational components or game settings.

[0055] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, the toy or educational system also includes one or more group tokens, each carrying group configuration data indicating a group identifier. Any suitable item or device can be used as a group token, as long as it is suitable for carrying the required configuration data and sharing the stored configuration data with wireless components and / or user equipment. Accordingly, the configuration data can be carried in any suitable form, as long as it allows for the storage of the required configuration data and sharing the stored configuration data with wireless components and / or user equipment. For example, the configuration data can be carried as one or more data stored in the memory portion of an NFC tag (e.g., an RFID tag), color codes, optical codes (e.g., one-dimensional or two-dimensional optical codes such as barcodes or QR codes), textual and / or graphic information (e.g., including alphanumeric characters, symbols, glyphs, emojis, and / or encoded as tactile information).

[0056] Advantageously, group tokens can be shaped and sized for handheld operation, particularly if the envisioned use involves bringing the group token close to a wireless element. For example, group tokens can be shaped, attached to, or integrated into cards (e.g., RFID or NFC cards), keychains, figurines, ornaments, etc. Alternatively or in addition, in some embodiments, group tokens can be provided in the form of receiving a wireless element, for example, during use or for storing elements in toys or educational systems. For example, group tokens can be shaped, attached to, or integrated into wireless power transmitters (e.g., wireless charging pads), storage containers, lids of storage containers, or receivers, etc. It is conceivable that external processing devices (e.g., user equipment) can also be used to store and share configuration data. For example, group tokens can also be implemented on any user device mentioned herein, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, personal computers, single-board computers, etc.

[0057] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, each wireless element also includes a token reader, which is adapted to retrieve group configuration data stored on the group token when the group token is placed in its vicinity. This facilitates intuitive gestures, allowing users to express their intention to pass group configuration data to the wireless element by bringing the token (information carrier) and the wireless element (information receiver) close to each other.

[0058] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, each of one or more group tokens includes an RFID / NFC tag, and the token reader includes an RFID / NFC reader. This provides a particularly robust and reliable group token implementation, further enhancing the user-friendliness and intuitiveness of the configuration data transmission process.

[0059] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, each wireless element is configured to set its group identifier based on the group configuration data read from one of the one or more group tokens when reading group configuration data from that one group token. This provides a further direct association between the group token and the definition of a temporary group, which further enhances the user-friendliness and intuitiveness of the process of forming and maintaining temporary groups and their connections.

[0060] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, the wireless communication interface of each of the plurality of wireless elements is also configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more other wireless elements among the plurality of wireless elements. As described above, the wireless elements of the toy or educational system disclosed herein are typically used selectively in a grouped manner, for example, to provide a linked, interactive user experience. Therefore, the wireless elements are generally suitable for wirelessly communicating with one or more other wireless elements among the plurality of wireless elements. Advantageously, the same wireless communication interface configured to communicate with a user device is also used for communication between the wireless elements, for example, through packet broadcasting of data messages. Thus, an efficient and flexible wireless communication implementation is provided for communication with the user device and between the wireless elements.

[0061] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, the multiple wireless elements include one or more wireless sensor elements, each wireless sensor element including a sensor adapted to generate sensor data representing an interaction or attribute detected by the sensor, and broadcasting the sensor data as one or more notification messages, wherein the notification messages include a group identifier of the wireless sensor elements.

[0062] This provides a wireless input element for sensor input, suitable for embodiments of the toys or educational systems disclosed herein. Specifically, the wireless input element is useful in embodiments suitable for providing a linked, interactive user experience, wherein the wireless elements are grouped to collaborate and share data via packet broadcast. More specifically, in this embodiment, notification messages are used to transmit sensor data, here transmitted via packet broadcast.

[0063] Wireless sensor elements can include any sensor suitable for use in toys or educational applications. For example, sensors can be adapted to pick up or measure parameters that indicate environmental quantities or user interactions, as mentioned elsewhere in this document. Examples of sensors include proximity sensors, color sensors, image sensors, user-operable input elements, angle sensors, motion sensors, orientation sensors, magnetic field sensors, light sensors, sound sensors, microphones, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, capacitive sensors, and so on.

[0064] Therefore, this embodiment further supports the flexibility and modularity of providing fun and / or educational user experiences, where wireless elements are configured to communicate with each other in a wireless broadcast network, thereby facilitating rapid and instant data sharing without adhering to complex registration or pairing protocols. More specifically, broadcasts are configured to be selective within broadcast groups, each broadcast group comprising at least one wireless element with a transmitter and at least one wireless element with a receiver. As described elsewhere herein, broadcast groups can be defined in a simple and efficient manner using appropriate group tokens, where the same group token can be used to group transmitters and receivers.

[0065] Advantageously, the behavior of the wireless sensor element can be configured and / or programmed. Advantageously, the sensor includes programmable control circuitry. For example, parameters for sensor sensitivity and / or calibration for detecting interactions or attributes can be configured, and / or the sensor response function can be programmed. For example, the sensor response function can be programmed to determine how sensor data generated by the wireless sensor element represents the interaction or attribute detected by the sensor. Advantageously, the wireless sensor also includes a processor operatively connected to the sensor, wherein the sensor behavior can be controlled from the processor.

[0066] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, multiple wireless elements include one or more wireless functional elements, each wireless functional element including a functional device and control circuitry suitable for controlling the functional device to generate user-perceptible output. Thus, wireless functional elements for generating user-perceptible output are provided, suitable for embodiments of the toys or educational systems of this disclosure. Specifically, the wireless functional elements are useful in embodiments suitable for providing a linked, interactive user experience, wherein the wireless elements are grouped to collaborate and share data via packet broadcast.

[0067] Wireless functional elements can include any suitable functional device appropriate for use in toys or educational purposes. For example, functional devices can be adapted to generate motion output, light and / or sound, as mentioned elsewhere herein. Examples of functional devices include motors, light emitters (e.g., one or more LEDs), image displays, sound emitters (e.g., speakers), vibration generators, etc.

[0068] Therefore, this embodiment further supports the flexibility and modularity of providing fun and / or educational user experiences, where wireless elements are configured to communicate with each other in a wireless broadcast network, thereby facilitating rapid and instant data sharing without adhering to complex registration or pairing protocols. More specifically, broadcasts are configured to be selective within broadcast groups, each broadcast group comprising at least one wireless element with a transmitter and at least one wireless element with a receiver. As described elsewhere herein, broadcast groups can be defined in a simple and efficient manner using appropriate group tokens, where the same group token can be used to group transmitters and receivers.

[0069] Advantageously, the behavior of the wireless functional element can be configured and / or programmed. For example, parameters that generate a sequence of user-perceptible outputs or such functional outputs can be programmed. For example, the control circuitry of the functional device can be configured and / or programmed to determine how the functional device responds to received input signals. Advantageously, the wireless functional element also includes a processor operatively connected to the functional device, wherein the functional behavior can be controlled from the processor.

[0070] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, each wireless functional element is configured to control the functional device of the wireless functional element in response to an announcement message received from one of the wireless sensor elements, provided that the received announcement message identifier matches a group identifier of the wireless functional device.

[0071] This embodiment further supports the flexibility and modularity of providing fun and / or educational user experiences, where wireless components can be configured to communicate and collaborate with each other in a wireless broadcast network. By combining wireless sensor components and wireless functional components into temporary groups, and allowing these temporary groups to selectively connect to user devices via paired connections, particularly useful and motivating educational and / or entertainment experiences can be achieved.

[0072] This embodiment also facilitates rapid and instantaneous data sharing without adhering to complex registration or pairing protocols. More specifically, broadcasts are configured to be selective within broadcast groups, each broadcast group comprising at least one wireless element with a transmitter and at least one wireless element with a receiver. As described elsewhere herein, broadcast groups can be defined in a simple and efficient manner using appropriate group tokens, where the same group token can be used to group transmitters and receivers.

[0073] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, the system is a modular construction system including modular construction elements, the modular construction elements including coupling members for detachably connecting the modular construction elements together to construct a toy or educational construction model, wherein the wireless element is a modular construction element of the modular construction system, and wherein the modular construction system also includes conventional modular construction elements.

[0074] This provides a particularly satisfying user experience, allowing for the construction of functional models where the construction of models from modular building elements complements the construction of functions from modular wireless elements, such as wireless sensors and / or functional elements, which can be combined to form temporary groups, operate in combination within the temporary groups, and be connected in groups to the user equipment described herein.

[0075] Modular construction elements of a modular construction system include coupling members suitable for detachably connecting the modular construction elements to each other to construct toys or educational construction models. The coupling members of the modular construction elements may include coupling members employing friction engagement, snap-fit ​​engagement, or a combination of both to support detachable mechanical connections between the modular construction elements. Alternatively or additionally, connecting members providing a detachable form-locking positive connection may be used to form detachable mechanical connections between the modular construction elements to construct toys or educational construction models. Alternatively or additionally, magnetic coupling members (i.e., cooperative coupling members relying on attractive magnetic forces) may be used to form detachable mechanical connections between the modular construction elements to construct toys or educational construction models.

[0076] Conventional modular construction elements may include passive modular construction elements that have no other function besides being suitable for model construction. Conventional modular construction elements may also include passive modular construction elements with simple mechanical functions. Conventional modular construction elements may also include modular construction elements with simple functions, such as motors, light emitters, speakers, switches, sensors, etc., but do not provide the wireless communication functions disclosed herein.

[0077] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, selectively initiating pairing operations includes automatically initiating pairing operations, particularly automatically sending the appropriate pairing request to a wireless element from which the user equipment has received an announcement message identifying the target group identifier. Thus, a simple and user-friendly process is provided that utilizes information about the temporary group to efficiently initiate only the relevant pairing operation in an automatic manner. Moreover, the relevant pairing operation can also be performed, for example, automatically (even transparently to the user) or in a user-controlled manner, for example, conditional upon input from the user, which is prompted to confirm the relevant pairing operation.

[0078] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, selectively initiating a pairing operation includes displaying an indication of the identified wireless elements of the target group on the user equipment's display and providing user interface functionality that allows the user to input commands to perform the initiated pairing operation. Thus, the user equipment can selectively display an indication of the identified wireless elements of the target group on its display and provide user interface functionality that allows the user to input commands to perform the initiated pairing operation. By including only the identified wireless elements of the target group in the displayed indication, a further simplified and user-friendly process is provided, which utilizes information about the temporary group to efficiently initiate only the relevant pairing operation. The relevant pairing operation can then be completed in a user-controlled manner, conditional upon confirmation of the relevant pairing operation by input prompts from the user.

[0079] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, receiving information about a target group identifier includes: performing a pairing operation with a first wireless element among a plurality of wireless elements, receiving a group identifier of the first wireless element from the first wireless element, and setting the target group identifier to the received group identifier of the first wireless element. Thus, as a natural extension of selecting the first wireless element of the target temporary group and performing the first pairing process, information about the identifier of the target temporary group is provided to the user equipment in a simple and intuitive manner. The pairing connection with the first wireless element of the temporary group can be used as a proxy to retrieve further relevant information about the temporary group in order to selectively initiate only the relevant pairing operation. Optionally, the user equipment can use the information received thereby about the target group identifier to directly and selectively initiate pairing operations with other members of the target temporary group.

[0080] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the toy or educational system, the user equipment is also configured to request information from the first wireless element about other members of the group identified by the target group identifier, and wherein the first wireless element is configured to: receive an announcement message from one or more other wireless elements among a plurality of wireless elements, create a list of other wireless elements having group identifiers that match the target group identifier based on the received announcement message, and forward the created list to the user equipment.

[0081] Thus, the first wireless element of the temporary group acts as a proxy to retrieve relevant information about the temporary group via the established pairing connection. This information can then be used to selectively initiate only relevant pairing operations. Embodiments using this configuration place lower demands on the complexity of the programming interface provided on the user device. Consequently, the disclosed process for selectively initiating pairing operations is significantly enhanced in terms of portability across different programming platforms. This enables the use of a wider variety of user devices in toys or educational systems. For example, designers of toys or educational systems can choose to implement the process using a general web interface and / or a dedicated application environment (i.e., a dedicated app application on the user device). Enhanced portability provides designers of toys or educational kits with greater design flexibility and also allows for enhanced pairing capabilities of the disclosed toys or educational systems to a broader user group. This can be achieved even with little or no compromise in terms of the complexity requirements of the processing power of the wireless elements.

[0082] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, each wireless element is configured to send an announcement message that indicates pairing availability only in response to user interaction with the wireless element. Requiring the user to interact with each (associated) wireless element so that the announcement message is sent only when the user intends to establish a pairing connection reduces bandwidth load. Instead, bandwidth can be used by the wireless elements to communicate with each other to collaborate in providing a linked, interactive user experience. This can significantly reduce latency in wireless element cooperation. Alternatively or additionally, reducing bandwidth load on wireless communication can also reduce the hardware requirements of the wireless communication components used in the wireless communication interface of the wireless elements, thereby reducing the footprint and cost of the wireless elements.

[0083] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, at least a first wireless element is configured to send an announcement message in response to user interaction with the first wireless element, the announcement message indicating pairing availability, and broadcast an announcement request message indicating a group identifier of the first wireless element, wherein at least a second wireless element is configured to send an announcement message in response to receiving an announcement request message from the first wireless element, and the announcement message sent by the second wireless element indicates pairing availability conditional upon a match between the group identifier of the first wireless element and the group identifier of the second wireless element. Embodiments using this scheme to initiate pairing operations may require significantly less user interaction, thereby simplifying the process and improving user-friendliness.

[0084] In some embodiments, user interaction with the first wireless element can be any suitable user interaction to indicate that the user intends to initiate a pairing process with the wireless element (particularly wireless elements of a target temporary group). For example, user interaction with the wireless element may include one or more of the following: pressing a button, operating a switch, activating a visible or invisible user interface element, performing (and detecting) a gesture having or targeting the wireless element, presenting an RFID / NFC tag, reading a QR code, reading an optical code or color, or similar user interactions described elsewhere herein.

[0085] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, receiving information about a target group identifier includes receiving configuration data indicating the group identifier from one of one or more group tokens, and setting the target group identifier based on the received configuration data. Thus, information about the target group identifier (e.g., the target group identifier itself) can be transmitted from the group token to the user device. Typically, this user interaction involves using a group token to initiate the transmission of configuration data from the group token to the user device, thereby explicitly assigning the target group identifier through user intent. In some embodiments, the user interaction may include gestures involving the group token relative to the user device to cause the user device to read configuration data stored on the group token, for example, presenting the group token to a suitable optical sensor, camera, wireless data reader, etc. This process of receiving information about the target group identifier from the group token is particularly intuitive if the same gesture / mechanism is used to assign temporary group identifiers to wireless elements, especially if the same group token is used to assign the target group identifier to the user device, just as the same group token is used to assign group members of wireless elements in the target group.

[0086] Furthermore, according to some embodiments of toys or educational systems, receiving information about a target group identifier includes receiving user input indicating the group identifier and setting the target group identifier based on the received user input. Therefore, the user can explicitly control the allocation of the target group identifier to the user device. This can be achieved using any suitable input method, thus providing a high degree of flexibility (and portability). Additionally, the mechanism described above for receiving the target group identifier from a group token can also be used as a user input mechanism.

[0087] According to a further aspect, a scheme for initiating pairing connections between a user device and multiple wireless components of a toy or educational system is provided, advantageous embodiments of which are defined herein and disclosed below. This achieves the same or similar advantages as the toy or educational system disclosed above.

[0088] In some embodiments, a scheme is provided for initiating a pairing connection between a user device and a plurality of wireless elements of a toy or educational system, wherein each of the plurality of wireless elements includes a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the user device, and wherein the user device includes a wireless communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the plurality of wireless elements; the scheme includes:

[0089] - Detect user interaction at the wireless element, which instructs the wireless element to be included in a temporary group of wireless elements created by the user;

[0090] - In response to detected user interaction with the wireless element, a group identifier is maintained at the wireless element, which identifies the temporary group.

[0091] - Send an announcement message from the wireless element that identifies the wireless element and the group identifier maintained by the wireless element;

[0092] - Receive information about the target group identifier at the user equipment.

[0093] - At the user equipment, an advertisement message is received from one or more wireless elements among a plurality of wireless elements, each advertisement message identifying one of the wireless elements available for pairing, and the advertisement message also identifying a group identifier of the wireless elements available for pairing, and

[0094] - Selectively initiate pairing operations with wireless elements from which the user equipment has received an announcement message, which identifies the wireless element as available for pairing and identifies the target group identifier.

[0095] Furthermore, advantageous embodiments of this solution are also defined accordingly by the advantageous features disclosed above in embodiments of toys or educational systems, and are illustrated below by example.

[0096] In some embodiments, the scheme may further include performing wireless communication according to the Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

[0097] In some embodiments of this scheme, each sent notification message includes a device name, which is used to identify the wireless element that sent the notification message.

[0098] In some embodiments, the scheme may include: in response to the user interaction, changing the device name at the wireless element to a temporary device name, the temporary device name including information about a group identifier that identifies the temporary group.

[0099] In some embodiments of this scheme, the temporary device name includes a code that encodes a graphical representation of a group identifier that identifies the temporary group, in particular an emoji representing the group identified by the group identifier that identifies the temporary group, and the user equipment is configured to display the encoded graphical representation in a list of wireless elements available for pairing.

[0100] In some embodiments of this solution, the toy or educational system may further include one or more group tokens, each carrying group configuration data indicating a group identifier. Further, each wireless element may also include a token reader adapted to retrieve the group configuration data stored on the group token when the group token is placed in its vicinity. Advantageously, each of the one or more group tokens includes an RFID / NFC tag, and the token reader includes an RFID / NFC reader. Advantageously, the solution may also include setting the group identifier of the wireless element at the wireless element based on the group configuration data read from one of the one or more group tokens after reading the group configuration data from that one group token.

[0101] In some embodiments of this scheme, the wireless communication interface of each of the plurality of wireless elements is also configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more other wireless elements among the plurality of wireless elements.

[0102] In some embodiments of this scheme, the multiple wireless elements include one or more wireless sensor elements, each wireless sensor element including a sensor adapted to generate sensor data representing an interaction or attribute detected by the sensor, and broadcasting the sensor data as one or more announcement messages, wherein the announcement messages include a group identifier of the wireless sensor elements.

[0103] In some embodiments of this scheme, the multiple wireless elements include one or more wireless functional elements, each wireless functional element including a functional device and control circuitry suitable for controlling the functional device to produce a user-perceptible output.

[0104] In some embodiments, the scheme may further include: controlling the functional device of the wireless functional element in response to an announcement message received from one of the wireless sensor elements, provided that the received announcement message identifier matches a group identifier of the wireless functional device.

[0105] In some embodiments of this scheme, the toy or educational system is a modular construction system including modular construction elements, the modular construction elements including coupling members for detachably connecting the modular construction elements together to construct a toy or educational construction model, wherein the wireless element is a modular construction element of the modular construction system, and wherein the modular construction system also includes conventional modular construction elements.

[0106] In some embodiments of this scheme, selectively initiating pairing operations includes automatically initiating pairing operations, particularly automatically sending the corresponding pairing request to a wireless element from which the user equipment has received an announcement message identifying the target group identifier.

[0107] In some embodiments of this scheme, selectively initiating the pairing operation includes displaying an indication of the identified wireless elements of the target group on the user equipment's display and providing a user interface that allows the user to enter commands to perform the initiated pairing operation.

[0108] In some embodiments of this scheme, receiving information about a target group identifier includes: performing a pairing operation with a first wireless element among a plurality of wireless elements, receiving a group identifier of the first wireless element from the first wireless element, and setting the target group identifier as the group identifier of the received first wireless element.

[0109] In some embodiments, the scheme may further include: at the user equipment, requesting information from a first wireless element about other members of a group identified by a target group identifier; and at the first wireless device, receiving an announcement message from one or more other wireless elements among a plurality of wireless elements, creating a list of other wireless elements having group identifiers that match the target group identifier based on the received announcement message, and forwarding the created list to the user equipment.

[0110] In some embodiments, the scheme may further include sending an announcement message at the wireless element indicating pair availability. This announcement message may be sent only in response to user interaction with the wireless element.

[0111] In some embodiments, the scheme may further include: at least at a first wireless element, sending an announcement message in response to user interaction with the first wireless element, the announcement message indicating pairing availability, and broadcasting an announcement request message indicating a group identifier of the first wireless element; and at least at a second wireless element, sending an announcement message in response to receiving an announcement request message from the first wireless element, and, conditional on a match between the group identifier of the first wireless element and the group identifier of the second wireless element, the announcement message sent by the second wireless element indicating pairing availability.

[0112] In some embodiments of this scheme, receiving information about the target group identifier includes receiving configuration data indicating the group identifier from one of one or more group tokens, and setting the target group identifier based on the received configuration data.

[0113] In some embodiments of this scheme, receiving information about the target group identifier includes receiving user input indicating the group identifier and setting the target group identifier based on the received user input. Attached Figure Description

[0114] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0115] Figure 1 This illustration schematically depicts a first scenario in which a temporary pairing connection is established with a wireless element in a toy or educational system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0116] Figure 2 This illustration schematically depicts a second scenario in which a temporary pairing connection is established with a wireless element in a toy or educational system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0117] Figure 3 This illustration schematically depicts a third scenario in which a temporary pairing connection is established with a wireless element in a toy or educational system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0118] Figure 4 An embodiment of a wireless element for a toy or educational system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated schematically.

[0119] Figure 5 shows the modular components of a prior art toy construction system. Detailed Implementation

[0120] As described above, multiple wireless elements of a toy or educational system can be used together and arranged to create an edutainment experience. This edutainment experience may involve many users simultaneously in many different environments. All of these settings involving multiple users collectively require facilitating selective interaction within a subset of wireless elements (e.g., wireless elements belonging to one user group or construction model) without interfering with other subsets of wireless elements (e.g., wireless elements belonging to other users or another construction model).

[0121] In some embodiments, wireless elements can be configured to communicate with each other in a packet broadcast network, thereby facilitating rapid and instantaneous data sharing without adhering to complex registration or pairing protocols. More specifically, broadcasts can be selected within broadcast groups, which are configured in a simple and efficient manner, for example, by assigning a public group identifier to each member of a given group using their respective group tokens.

[0122] However, some setups may benefit from, or even require, a paired wireless connection between the wireless element and the user device, such as using standardized wireless communication infrastructure, like the Bluetooth Low Energy standard. Specifically, a paired connection can be useful when a user device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC) connects to one or more wireless elements of a toy or educational system according to this disclosure. For example, a user might want to program or modify the interactive behavior of one or more wireless elements to solve a specific task. Specifically, a user might want to establish a paired connection with a group of such wireless elements in a toy or educational system, a connection that is temporarily formed during play and / or educational projects using the toy or educational system. For example, a user might want to use the paired connection to program or modify the linked interactive behavior of a group of wireless elements that combine actions to solve a task. Furthermore, in addition to establishing a temporary group of one or more wireless elements, a user might want to temporarily change the group, such as adding and / or removing wireless elements from the temporary group, or even terminating the group during a project. The toy or educational system according to this disclosure then provides an efficient mechanism to adapt the paired connection to such changes in the group.

[0123] The following is for reference. Figures 1 to 3 It describes different scenarios in which pairing operations are selectively initiated from a user equipment, where the target of pairing is a temporary group of wireless elements established by a specific user. Figures 1 to 3 A toy or educational system 100 is shown, including user equipment 101 and multiple wireless components 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150.

[0124] Each of the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 includes a wireless communication interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a user equipment. Typically, the wireless interface of each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 is also configured to communicate wirelessly with other wireless elements among the multiple wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150, thereby facilitating combined operation of the multiple wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150, for example, providing a linked interactive user experience. Alternatively, a separate wireless interface may be provided in each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150, configured to communicate wirelessly with other wireless elements among the multiple wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 to facilitate such cooperation among the multiple wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150.

[0125] Each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 includes processing mechanisms 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, configured to maintain a group identifier in response to an interaction 9 between a user 99 and the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. User interaction 9 instructs the inclusion of the wireless element in a temporary group of wireless elements established by the user, and the group identifier identifies the temporary group. Furthermore, each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 is configured to transmit announcement messages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. Announcement messages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 identify the wireless element and the group identifier maintained by the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. The processing mechanisms 111, 121, 131, 141, and 151 can be implemented as a set of programming instructions that, when executed, cause the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 to maintain the group identifier in response to user interaction 9 with the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150.

[0126] User equipment 101 includes a wireless communication interface 102 configured to wirelessly communicate with each of a plurality of wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. User equipment 101 is configured to receive information about a target group identifier 103. Figure 1 In this context, the group identifier value is "001". User equipment 101 is also configured to receive announcement messages 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 from one or more of a plurality of radio elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150. User equipment 101 can receive information identifying the target group from user 99 as input, for example, through user interaction 19.

[0127] Each announcement message 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 identifies a radio element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 that can be used for pairing. Each announcement message 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 also identifies a group identifier for the radio element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 that can be used for pairing. Furthermore, user equipment 101 is configured to selectively initiate pairing operations 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 with radio elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, after user equipment 101 has received announcement messages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 from radio elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, which identify that the radio elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 are available for pairing and identify a target group identifier 103.

[0128] The wireless communication interfaces of user equipment 101 and wireless components 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 can use any protocol suitable for wireless communication. Advantageously, the wireless communication interfaces of user equipment 101 and wireless components 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 are configured to perform wireless communication according to a standardized protocol, such as the Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

[0129] Each notification message 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 sent includes a device name 112, 122, 132, 142, and 152, used to identify the radio element 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 that sent the notification message 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. For example, in Figure 1 In this context, component 110 includes a group identifier “001” and a component label or name “S1”, as well as other information that may be included.

[0130] Furthermore, each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 can be configured to change its device name 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 to a temporary device name 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, 152a in response to user interaction 9, wherein the temporary device name 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, 152a includes information about the group identifier 103 that identifies the temporary group. For example, in Figure 2 In this context, the temporary device names 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, and 152a may include codes that encode a graphical representation 109 identifying the group identifier of the temporary group. In one embodiment, the code may represent an emoji that represents the group identified by the group identifier of the temporary group. The user equipment 101 may then be further configured to display the encoded graphical representation 109 in a list 104 of temporary device names 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, and 152a available for pairing of wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150. This facilitates easy verification by the user of the temporary group membership of each of the listed wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 available for pairing.

[0131] Toy or educational system 100 may also include one or more set tokens 1, 2 (see Figure 1 and Figure 2Each group token carries group configuration data indicating group identifiers "001" and "010" and a code encoding a graphic representation 109. Each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 may also include a token reader adapted to retrieve the group configuration data stored on the group tokens 1 and 2 when they are placed in the vicinity of the token reader. Each of the one or more group tokens 1 and 2 may include an RFID / NFC tag, and the token reader may include an RFID / NFC reader. Each RFID / NFC tag may store group configuration data that can be read by the RFID / NFC reader of any of the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. Alternatively or otherwise, one or more group tokens 1 and 2 may carry group configuration data in any suitable form (e.g., graphic, optically encoded, magnetically encoded, etc.), and the wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 may include compatible readers adapted to read group configuration data provided in this form. Furthermore, each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 can be configured to, after reading group configuration data from one of the group tokens 1 or 2, set the group identifier "001" or "010" as a temporary group identifier for the wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 based on the group configuration data read from that group token 1 or 2. Alternatively or additionally, wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 may also include a user interface allowing a user to directly interact with the wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 to set the temporary group identifier.

[0132] exist Figure 1 In this scenario, user 99 can select three wireless elements 110, 120, and 130 to establish a temporary group 36, as indicated and shown in the dashed box. User 99 interacts with each selected wireless element 110, 120, and 130 to indicate that they are included in the temporary group 36 established by the user. The temporary group 36 is identified by the temporary group identifier "001". Each selected wireless element 110, 120, and 130 responds to user interaction 9 by setting its group identifier to "001", that is, setting it to the temporary group identifier that identifies the temporary group 36. This is accomplished in each selected wireless element 110, 120, and 130 through processing mechanisms 111, 121, and 131, respectively. The selected wireless elements 110, 120, and 130 can then be activated to transmit announcement messages 10, 20, and 30. Notification messages 10, 20, and 30 identify radio elements 110, 120, and 130, which are labeled "S1", "S2", and "F1" respectively, and the group identifier "001" maintained by radio elements 110, 120, and 130.

[0133] Other radio elements 140 and 150, which are not affected by user interaction 9 and are therefore not included in temporary group 36, do not respond by changing the group identifier that identifies the temporary group. Instead, processing mechanisms 141 and 151 in other radio elements 140 and 150 can retain the group identifier as a default value, such as "NUL". Each other radio element 140 and 150 can also be activated to transmit corresponding advertising messages 40 and 50 identifying radio element 140 and 150, denoted here as "S3" and "F2" respectively. However, since other radio elements 140 and 150 are not part of temporary group 36, advertising messages 40 and 50 do not include the group identifier "001".

[0134] User 99 can also establish a first pairing connection 11 between user equipment 101 and the first radio element 110 in radio elements 110, 120, 130 of temporary group 36. User 99 can also identify temporary group 36 as target group by providing temporary group identifier “001” to user equipment 101. This can be done in any suitable manner, for example, as shown by arrow 18, as part of a pairing process to establish a pairing connection with the first radio element 110, or as shown by arrow 19, as a separate user input to user equipment 101.

[0135] User equipment 101 can use the received information about the target group identifier 103 to select, from the received announcement messages 10, 20, and 30 that identify the target group identifier "001" of the target temporary group 36. User equipment 101 can also select only the announcement messages that identify the corresponding radio elements 120 and 130 as available for pairing. As shown by arrow 91, user equipment 101 uses the information from the selected announcement messages 20 and 30 to selectively initiate pairing operations with other temporary group members 120 and 130 that are also available for pairing, to establish pairing connections 12 and 13.

[0136] User equipment can receive notification information in any suitable manner. For example, user equipment 101 can use first wireless element 110 as a proxy to query more group members from the first wireless element. Then, the first wireless element can issue a command, for example, to broadcast a command to all temporary group members with group identifier "001" to transmit notification messages. Upon this command, the first wireless element 110 can listen for notification messages 20, 30 with group identifiers matching the target group identifier "001", for example, within a predetermined time period, to collect the values ​​of any received wireless element names, here "S2" and "F1". Then, the first wireless element 110 can connect to another temporary group member list {S2, F1} and forward the list to user equipment 101 via pairing connection 11. Then, user equipment 101 can selectively initiate pairing operations with other identified wireless elements 120, 130 at arrow 91 to establish additional pairing connections 12, 13 between user equipment 101 and other wireless elements 120, 130 of temporary group 36. For example, user equipment 101 may selectively prompt user 99 on its user interface to establish one or more additional pairing connections, listing only the additional wireless elements 120, 130. User equipment 101 may be configured to respond to such prompts, complete the pairing operation based on user input, and / or continue to complete the pairing operation automatically.

[0137] Temporary groups can be formed in any suitable manner. For example, a force sensor can be grouped with a motor in a temporary group. The force sensor can be used as a user input sensor so that when a sensing element (such as a protrusion, e.g., a button) is pressed, the paired motor toggles between "on" and "off". It can be seen that grouping using tokens, without the need for wires to be connected to the user device or between the force sensor and the motor, allows for convenient setup, enabling more time to be spent on games and learning. The force sensor and motor can be directly physically connected, or part of the same structure, or even have no physical connection at all.

[0138] exist Figure 2 In the scenario, user 99 selects the same three wireless elements 110, 120, and 130 to establish a temporary group 36. User 99 interacts with each selected wireless element 110, 120, and 130 to instruct them to be included in the temporary group 36 established by the user. Figure 2 In this scenario, user 99 uses group token 1, such as a card carrying an RFID tag, to interact with each selected wireless element 110, 120, 130. Therefore, temporary group 36 is identified by the temporary group identifier "001". Figure 1As shown in the scenario, each selected wireless element 110, 120, and 130 responds to user interaction 9 by setting its group identifier to "001," that is, to a temporary group identifier that identifies the temporary group 36. This is accomplished in each selected wireless element 110, 120, and 130 through processing mechanisms 111, 121, and 131, respectively. The selected wireless elements 110, 120, and 130 can then be activated to transmit announcement messages 10, 20, and 30. The announcement messages 10, 20, and 30 identify the wireless elements 110, 120, and 130, here labeled "S1," "S2," and "F1," respectively, and the group identifier "001" maintained by the wireless elements 110, 120, and 130.

[0139] exist Figure 2 In this scenario, user 99 also selects two other wireless elements 140 and 150 to establish another temporary group 29 (e.g., a group labeled "010"). User 99 interacts with each of the other wireless elements 140 and 150 to indicate that they are included in the temporary group 29 established by the other user. User 99 uses another group token 2, such as a card carrying an RFID tag, to interact with each of the other wireless elements 140 and 150. Thus, the temporary group 29 is identified by the temporary group identifier "010". Again, each of the other wireless elements 140 and 150 responds to user interaction 8 by setting its group identifier to "010", that is, setting it to the temporary group identifier that identifies the other temporary group 29. This is accomplished in the other wireless elements 140 and 150 through processing mechanisms 141 and 151, respectively. Then, if activated, the other wireless elements 140 and 150 can transmit announcement messages 40 and 50. The announcement messages 40 and 50 identify the corresponding radio elements 140 and 150, which are labeled "S3" and "F2" respectively, and the group identifier "010" maintained by radio elements 140 and 150.

[0140] User 99 can also identify temporary group 36 as the target group by providing temporary group identifier "001" to user equipment 101 (e.g., as a separate user input 19 for user equipment 101). As described above, this can be done in any suitable manner. For example, user 99 can present group token 1 at arrow 19 to a suitable reader included in user equipment 101 so that user equipment 101 reads configuration data including temporary group identifier "001" and assigns the temporary group identifier "001" of the read group token 1 as the target group identifier 103. Note that other radio elements 140, 150 are not part of temporary group 36, and announcement messages 40, 50 do not identify the correct value "001" for target group 103. Instead, other radio elements 140, 150 maintain other temporary group identifiers "010" and thus identify other group identifiers "010" in their announcement messages 40, 50, as described above.

[0141] The user equipment can receive notification messages 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 in any suitable manner. For example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, user equipment 101 can directly receive announcement messages 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 from wireless elements 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150 that are activated for transmission (and can be paired) at wireless communication interface 102.

[0142] User equipment 101 can use the received information to select, from the received announcement messages 10, 20, and 30 that identify the target group identifier "001" of target temporary group 36. User equipment 101 can also select only the announcement messages that identify the corresponding radio elements 110, 120, and 130 that can be used for pairing.

[0143] At arrow 92, user equipment 101 uses information from selected announcement messages 10, 20, 30 to selectively initiate pairing operations with each temporary group member 110, 120, 130 that is also available for pairing, to establish pairing connections 11, 12, 13 between user equipment 101 and the wireless elements 110, 120, 130 of temporary group 36. For example, user equipment 101 may selectively prompt the user 99 on its user interface to establish one or more pairing connections, listing only wireless elements 110, 120, 130 while ignoring any other wireless elements 140, 150 that do not belong to the target temporary group 36. User equipment 101 may be configured to complete pairing operations 11, 12, 13 and / or continue to automatically complete pairing operations in response to such prompts and user input. Furthermore, the user may present a second token 2 (e.g., a group identifier "010" with a heart-shaped code) to other elements to form a second temporary group 29 in the same manner.

[0144] like Figure 2 As shown, each wireless element 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 can be configured to change its device name 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 to temporary device names 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, 152a, where the temporary device names 112a, 122a, 132a, 142a, 152a include code 109, which includes an emoji representing the group identified by the group identifier that identifies the temporary group. For example, the temporary group identifier "001" of the target temporary group 36 can be represented by a happy smiley face, and all wireless elements 110, 120, 130 belonging to the same temporary group 36 can change their respective device names 112, 122, 132 to temporary device names 112a, 122a, 132a including the happy smiley face. As a further example, the temporary group identifier "010" of other temporary groups 29 can be represented by a heart shape, and all wireless elements 140, 150 that are members of other temporary groups 29 can change their respective device names 142, 152 to temporary device names 142a, 152a that include the heart shape. User equipment 101 can then be configured to display the encoded graphical representation 109 in a list 104 of temporary device names 112a, 122a, 132a of wireless elements 110, 120, 130 that are members of the target temporary group. This helps user 99 to easily and intuitively verify the temporary group membership of each listed wireless element 110, 120, 130 that can be paired.

[0145] Figure 3 The scene is Figure 1 or Figure 2 An extension of any scenario. In Figure 3 In this scenario, user 99 modifies target temporary group 36 to include wireless devices 140 and 150, thus forming a new target temporary group 65. Since user 99 only modified target temporary group 36, the user equipment can reuse previously received information about target group identifier 103. Therefore, target group identifier 103 remains unchanged. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The "001" in the middle.

[0146] Through simple user interaction 9 (e.g., using Figure 3 The group token 1 shown is in the same manner as described above. Figure 2(In the same manner), wireless devices 140 and 150 are added to temporary group 36 with a temporary group identifier "001". The processing mechanisms 141 and 151 of wireless elements 140 and 150 respond to user interaction 9 by setting the corresponding group identifier to the (new) temporary group identifier value "001". Newly selected wireless elements 140 and 150 can also change their respective device names 142 and 152 to temporary device names 142a and 152a, now including a graphical representation in the form of a smiley face. When activated, wireless elements 140 and 150 transmit announcement messages 40 and 50. Announcement messages 40 and 50 identify that wireless elements 140 and 150 are available for pairing, and the group identifier maintained by the wireless element. Wireless elements 140 and 150 can be identified, for example, by their device names 142 and 152 or their temporary device names 142a and 152a (if applicable). Figure 1 As shown, another wireless element can be used as a proxy to convey information about other members 140, 150 of the temporary group 65 available for pairing with the user equipment. For example, the first wireless element 110 can collect information and provide the user equipment with a list of newly added wireless elements 140, 150 via an established pairing connection 11. Alternatively, information about newly added wireless elements 140, 150 can also be collected directly at the user equipment 101 by receiving announcement messages 40, 50 at the wireless communication interface 102, similar to the above reference. Figure 2 As described above. At arrow 93, user equipment 101 can then initiate pairing operations with respect to the identified wireless elements 140, 150, and can do so in the same manner as described above to establish pairing connections 14, 15 between user equipment 101 and wireless elements 140, 150.

[0147] Figure 4 A wireless element 400 suitable for use in an embodiment of a toy or educational system according to this disclosure is schematically shown. The wireless element 400 may be a modular construction element of a modular construction system. Each modular construction element of the modular construction system includes a coupling member 480 adapted to detachably connect the modular construction elements to each other to construct a construction model, as further detailed below. Therefore, the shape and size of the housing 401 of the wireless element 400 can be designed to be compatible with the modular construction elements of the modular construction system and may include corresponding coupling members 480 (male coupling member and female coupling member) of the modular construction system.

[0148] Typically, wireless element 400 includes a wireless communication interface configured to communicate wirelessly with user equipment. The wireless communication interface includes a transmitter module 440 and a receiver module 450. Wireless element 400 may also include: a group token reader 410 adapted to read configuration data from a group token; a status indicator 420 adapted to provide user-perceptible output based on the group status of the wireless element; an input device 430 adapted to collect inputs, such as user inputs and / or sensor inputs or data from external data sources, for example, to provide timing data or trigger commands; and a function device 460 adapted to provide user-perceptible outputs, such as motion, light, sound, image or video display, audio, etc. Typically, the wireless element also includes a processor 470 operatively coupled to the group token reader 410, status indicator 420, input device 430, the wireless communication interface having the transmitter module 440 and receiver module 450, and function device 460.

[0149] Processor 470 can be configured to detect user interactions received, for example, via token reader 410 or input device 430, and recognize the user interaction as an indication to include wireless element 400 in a temporary group of wireless elements. The temporary group of wireless elements is identified by a group identifier shared by all members of the temporary group. In response to determining inclusion in a temporary group, processor 470 can set a maintained group identifier to correspond to the temporary group identifier. Similarly, when it is determined that a user interaction indicates inclusion in a new / different temporary group, processor 470 can change the group identifier to identify the new / different temporary group. Furthermore, similarly, when it is determined that a user interaction indicates removal of the wireless element from a temporary group, processor 470 can set the group identifier to a default value, such as "NUL". Processor 470 can also receive activation input that requires the transmission of announcement information. The announcement message can identify wireless element 400 and the group identifier maintained by wireless element 400. The announcement information can be data information transmitted without specifying a recipient (e.g., broadcast).

[0150] Group token reader 410 can be used to read configuration data from group tokens, for example, as referenced above. Figures 1 to 3 The group tokens 1 and 2 carry temporary group identifiers "001" and "010". The processor 470 can also be configured to set the group identifier identifying the temporary group based on configuration data read from the group tokens.

[0151] The status indicator 420 can be adapted to provide user-perceptible output based on the group status of the wireless element. The processor 470 can be configured to set the group status based on configuration data read from the group token. More specifically, the group status indicator 420 can be controlled by the processor 470 to provide status output corresponding to the group tag, for example, illuminating in a color corresponding to the group tag specified as a color.

[0152] Input device 430 may be adapted to collect inputs, such as user inputs and / or sensor inputs or data from external data sources, for example, to provide timing data or trigger commands. Input device 430 may include sensors adapted to sense physical quantities and provide corresponding sensor data representing the sensed physical quantities, such as mechanical, electrical, and optical quantities, or combinations thereof. For example, such sensors may include switches, keyboards, position sensors, proximity sensors, motion sensors, accelerometers, pressure sensors, light sensors, temperature sensors, gyroscopes, touch sensors, microphones, etc. Input device 430 is also adapted to pass any collected inputs to processor 470 for further processing.

[0153] Transmitter module 440 can be adapted to broadcast data messages via one or more channels of wireless communication infrastructure (such as Bluetooth). Furthermore, transmitter module 440 is operatively coupled to processor 470, which controls the operation of transmitter module 440 and provides the data messages to be broadcast.

[0154] Receiver module 450 can be adapted to receive data messages via one or more channels of wireless communication infrastructure (such as Bluetooth). Furthermore, receiver module 450 is operatively coupled to processor 470, which controls the operation of receiver module 450 and processes any received data messages, including selecting data messages via group identifiers and any further processing of the selected data messages.

[0155] Functional device 460 is suitable for providing user-perceptible outputs, such as motion, light, sound, image or video display, audio, etc. This functional device is operatively coupled to processor 470, which controls its operation. For example, processor 470 can control the operation of this function based on any programming instructions or data collected from reader 410 or receiver 450. Thus, wireless element 400 is suitable for operation in a packet broadcast network.

[0156] Typically, wireless element 400 can be used to transmit data messages, receive data messages, or both. Typically, wireless element 400 can be used to collect input, generate user-perceptible output, or both.

[0157] AlthoughFigure 4 The wireless element 400 schematically shown includes all the components described above; however, it should be understood that all wireless elements 400 contain a wireless communication interface with a transmitter module 440 and a receiver module 450, a processor 470, and a suitable power supply (not shown), while a given wireless element 400 may or may not contain other components 410, 420, 430, and 460. Optional components include a token reader 410, a status indicator 420, an input device 430, and a function device 460.

[0158] Typically, the processor 470 of wireless element 400 includes programming instructions that control the behavior of wireless element 400. For example, programming instructions on input wireless elements (e.g., wireless elements 110, 120, and 140 labeled "S1", "S2", and "S3") used to acquire sensor input can control the frequency of data collection, convert input into input device output data, and parse input device output data in data messages for broadcast by transmitter module 440. Programming instructions on receiver wireless elements used to perform user-perceptible functions (e.g., wireless elements 130 and 150 labeled "F1" and "F2") can control the response to received data messages and details of the response output, such as motion patterns or speeds, or the color and duration of light emission or light pulse sequences. Programming instructions can be written into, modified, or replaced in wireless element 400 to program the behavior of wireless element 400. Wireless element 400 can read programming instructions contained in configuration data from a set token. Alternatively or otherwise, wireless element 400 can be configured to read such programming instructions from a dedicated programming token that can be provided separately. In addition, the toy or educational system may provide a programming interface that operates on user equipment 101 (e.g., a personal computer, tablet, mobile phone, or similar smart device), which may be connected to the processor 470 of the wireless element 400 via a paired connection having a wireless communication interface having a transmitter module 440 and a receiver module 450 or via a dedicated programming port (not shown).

[0159] Figure 5 illustrates examples of conventional modular construction elements, which are well-known in the field of toy construction systems and are equally useful and known in the context of construction systems used for educational purposes. Such modular construction elements may even include input and / or functional devices (not shown). Conventional modular construction elements may be part of an educational kit 500, such as a classroom kit, which is included in box 510 with instruction manual 520 guiding educational tasks that can be performed using the educational kit 500. However, conventional modular construction elements do not include the wireless functionality described herein. Modular construction elements include coupling members suitable for detachably mechanically connecting modular construction elements to each other to construct toy or educational construction models. For example, the coupling members of the conventional modular construction elements shown in Figure 5 may include coupling members employing friction engagement, snap-fit ​​engagement, or a combination of both to support detachable connections between modular construction elements. Alternatively or additionally, coupling members providing detachable shape-locking positive connections may be used to form detachable mechanical connections between modular construction elements. Alternatively or otherwise, magnetic coupling components (i.e., cooperative coupling components that rely on magnetic attraction) can be used to form detachable mechanical connections between modular building elements.

[0160] The structural components of Figure 5 can also be electrically connected via cables and connectors. In addition to all the components described above, these components may also include a battery module for power supply, a color sensor, an angle motor, a light matrix module, a communication hub module, etc. One or more of these features can be combined into a single component; for example, the communication hub may also have a light matrix that can display codes (e.g., hearts) to the user. It is understood that such a setup can greatly benefit from the techniques of this disclosure, avoiding complex registration and pairing protocols and potentially cumbersome small electrical connections that may even be beyond the skill level of a young child. By utilizing group tokens to form temporary groups, not only can the desired structure be quickly constructed, but the desired structure can also be grouped. For example, a robot can be constructed and then grouped using group tokens to form temporary groups of robot components, so that all robot components can be activated with the pressing of a single activation button. In one embodiment, the group token may be in the form of a color card, read by a color sensor, and includes an image of the temporary group code.

[0161] It's conceivable that children of different ages can use the same components by including games or instructions tailored to different age groups. For very young children, toy cars can be quickly and easily assembled using various components, including accelerometers. By utilizing accelerometer data, young adults can begin to understand acceleration and velocity, and how data can be represented graphically. These quality factors can be used to identify the fastest vehicles. By minimizing setup time, play and learning time can be maximized in a timed educational environment.

[0162] For older learners, the speed of the vehicles can be determined and used to schedule one or more vehicles to arrive at the station simultaneously. Students will be able to calculate the lead time required for slower vehicles to arrive at the station at the same time as faster vehicles, thus enhancing their measurement skills and speed calculations over distances.

[0163] According to some embodiments, the wireless elements of the toys or educational systems disclosed herein may be modular construction elements suitable for compatibility with conventional modular construction elements. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, in addition to multiple wireless elements and one or more group tokens suitable for modular construction, the toys or educational systems may also include conventional modular construction elements.

[0164] It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the functionality of several elements may be implemented by fewer elements or a single element. Similarly, in some embodiments, any functional element may perform fewer or different operations than those described with respect to the illustrated embodiments. Furthermore, functional elements shown as different for illustrative purposes (e.g., modules, transmitters, receivers, readers, interfaces, processors, etc.) may be incorporated into other functional elements in a particular embodiment.

[0165] Although the subject matter has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it should be understood that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the subject matter without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wireless element for use in toys or educational systems, characterized in that, The wireless element includes: A wireless communication interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a user equipment, wherein the wireless communication interface includes a transmitter module and a receiver module; A status indicator adapted to provide a user-perceptible first output based on a group status of the wireless element, the group status indicating the temporary wireless element group to which the wireless element belongs; and A processor operatively coupled to the status indicator and the wireless communication interface.

2. The wireless element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wireless communication interface is configured to perform wireless communication with the user equipment in accordance with the Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

3. The wireless element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temporary group of wireless elements is identified by a group identifier, and the wireless element is configured to maintain the group identifier.

4. The wireless element according to claim 3, characterized in that, The wireless communication interface is also configured to send a notification message identifying the group identifier.

5. The wireless element according to claim 3, characterized in that, The wireless element is configured to change the corresponding device name to a temporary device name in response to user interaction with the wireless element, the temporary device name including information about the group identifier.

6. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless element also includes a token reader, which is adapted to retrieve group configuration data stored on the group token when the group token is placed in the vicinity of the token reader.

7. The wireless element according to claim 6, characterized in that, The token reader includes an RFID reader or an NFC reader.

8. The wireless element according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wireless element is configured to set its group state based on group configuration data read from the group token.

9. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless communication interface is also configured to communicate wirelessly with one or more other wireless elements in the temporary group of wireless elements.

10. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless element also includes a sensor adapted to generate sensor data representing an interaction or attribute detected by the sensor, and to broadcast the sensor data as one or more announcement messages, wherein the announcement messages include a group status of the wireless sensor element.

11. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless element also includes a functional device adapted to provide a second output that is perceptible to the user.

12. The wireless element according to claim 11, characterized in that, The wireless element also includes control circuitry suitable for controlling the functional device to produce the user-perceptible second output.

13. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless element is a modular construction element of a modular construction system.

14. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless element is also configured to send an announcement message that indicates pairing availability only in response to user interaction with the wireless element.

15. The wireless element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The wireless element also includes an input device adapted to collect input from a user or a sensor.

16. The wireless element according to claim 15, characterized in that, The wireless element is configured to update its group status based on user interaction received via the input device, the user interaction indicating that the wireless element be included in a temporary wireless element group created by the user.

17. A toy system, characterized in that, The system includes: Multiple wireless elements according to any one of claims 1 to 16; and User equipment.

18. The toy system according to claim 17, characterized in that, The system also includes one or more group tokens, each carrying group configuration data that indicates a group identifier.

19. The toy system according to claim 18, characterized in that, The user equipment is configured to obtain configuration data indicating a group identifier from a group token, and set the target group identifier according to the received configuration data.

20. The toy system according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that, The user equipment is configured to obtain user input indicating a group identifier, and to set group identifiers for a plurality of the wireless elements based on the received user input.

21. An education system, characterized in that, The system includes: Multiple wireless elements according to any one of claims 1 to 16; and User equipment.

22. The education system according to claim 21, characterized in that, The system also includes one or more group tokens, each carrying group configuration data that indicates a group identifier.

23. The education system according to claim 22, characterized in that, The user equipment is configured to obtain configuration data indicating a group identifier from a group token, and set the target group identifier according to the received configuration data.

24. The education system according to any one of claims 21 to 23, characterized in that, The user equipment is configured to obtain user input indicating a group identifier, and to set group identifiers for a plurality of the wireless elements based on the received user input.

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