Toy Identification Peripheral for Cross-Platform Game State Persistence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Video games lack a physical component that allows players to interact with representative objects, creating a distinct separation between the game play world and the real world, limiting the immersive experience.
Innovation Solution
A video game system that includes a console, a peripheral device capable of identifying toys, and a server that updates and stores characteristics and attributes of these toys, allowing them to be recognized and integrated into the game environment, enabling real-world objects to affect game play.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If physical toys are integrated with video game systems, then the immersive experience and connection between real and virtual worlds is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a peripheral device as an intermediary between the physical toy and the video game system. This peripheral includes a reader that detects toy information and a transmitter that communicates with the gaming platform, thereby mediating the integration without requiring direct complex integration between the toy and the game system itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: the physical toy with its embedded identifier, the peripheral device with reader and transmitter functions, and the remote server with database. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and maintained independently, reducing overall system complexity while enabling toy integration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If character attributes are stored on a remote server, then data persistence across multiple gaming platforms is improved, but the loss of information during transmission may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the peripheral device reads toy information, transmits it to the remote server, and the server stores and returns updated character attributes. This feedback loop ensures data consistency across platforms while allowing for error detection and correction during transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system stores character attributes on the remote server before they are needed for gameplay, creating a backup that prevents information loss. The server maintains persistent storage of character data, ensuring that even if transmission errors occur, the data is preserved and can be retrieved.
Data Source
AI summary
A video game system comprising a console (such as a game console, computer, mobile device or web site), a peripheral for a gaming platform, and a toy. The gaming platform is capable of identifying the toy and a character corresponding to the toy is depicted in the video game. The video game character corresponding to the toy has certain characteristics and/or attributes. The data for these characteristics and attributes is stored on a server accessible to each compatible gaming platform. As the user uses the character to play the video game, thereby altering the character's characteristics and attributes, the updated attributes are stored by the game system to the server connected to the game system. Updated character data is thereafter available to the user for subsequent game play via any gaming platform connected to the server.