- Number
- 11123647
- Published
- 2021-09-21
- Filed
- 2019-02-04
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Rosenthal; Janice, Nocon; Nathan, Thornton; Stephen A., Goslin; Michael P., Panec; Timothy
- CPC
- B25J13/006; A63H33/22; A63H3/006; A63H5/00; B25J11/003; A63H30/04; A63H3/28
- Verdict
- High Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Animatronic/performative figurine entertainment system (granted).
Abstract
An entertainment system includes multiple figurines configured for wireless communication, and a control device having a hardware processor, a system memory storing a control application, and a transceiver. The hardware processor executes the control application to detect each of the figurines via the transceiver and to identify a predetermined entertainment for performance by two or more of the figurines. The hardware processor further executes the control application to transmit control signals to the two or more figurines via the transceiver, wherein a first control signal instructs a first of the two or more figurines to perform a first portion of the predetermined entertainment, and a second control signal instructs a second of the two or more figurines to perform a second portion of the predetermined entertainment. The two or more of the figurines are configured to perform the predetermined entertainment according to the control signals.
Background
BACKGROUND (1) Lullabies and bedtime stories are time honored rituals for preparing children for bedtime and restful sleep. However, as social and technological trends result in ever younger children adopting and enjoying the use of modern electronic devices, depriving them of that use and enjoyment in favor of traditional modes of storytelling to and song at bedtime may be undesirably stressful. For example, requiring a child to turn off a cherished electronic toy with which the child is interacting at bedtime may make the child restless and less able to settle down for the night. (2) Unfortunately, the use of conventional electronics at bedtime can itself be overstimulating. In addition, the blue light emitted by many electronic device displays can undesirably interfere with healthy sleep patterns. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a modern alternative to traditional storytelling and song, capable of soothing a child into a state of restfulness without depriving the child of interaction with a favorite electronic toy or device. SUMMARY (3) There are provided entertainment systems including performative figurines and methods for their use, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, and as set forth more completely in the claims.
Claims
1. An entertainment system comprising: a control device including a display, a hardware processor, a system memory storing a control application and a figurines database, and a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more of a plurality of figurines, the figurines database including an identity of each of the plurality of figurines, wherein each of the plurality of figurines is associated with one or more entertainment performances and with one or more corresponding portions of each of the one or more entertainment performances; the hardware processor configured to execute the control application to: detect two or more figurines of the plurality of figurines via the transceiver; identify, using the figurines database, the identity of each of the detected two or more figurines; display, using the display, a figurines selection menu including the identified two or more figurines; receive a user selection selecting one or more figurines of the identified two or more figurines; identify, using the figurines database and based on the user selection, a first entertainment performance as being associated with each of the selected one or more figurines in the figurines database; and transmit control signals to the selected one or more figurines via the transceiver, wherein a first control signal of the control signals instructs a first figurine of the selected one or more figurines to perform a first portion of the identified first entertainment performance corresponding to the first figurine; wherein the first figurine of the selected one or more figurines is configured to perform the first portion of the identified first entertainment performance the first portion of according to the first control signal. ||
11. A method for use by an entertainment system including a control device having a display, a hardware processor, a system memory storing a control application and a figurines database, and a transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more of a plurality of figurines, the figurines database including an identity of each of the plurality of figurines, wherein each of the plurality of figurines is associated with one or more entertainment performances and with one or more corresponding portions of each of the one or more entertainment performances, the method comprising: detecting, using the hardware processor and the control application, two or more figurines of the plurality of figurines via the transceiver; identifying, using the hardware processor and the figurines database, the identity of each of the detected two or more figurines; displaying, using the hardware processor and the display, a figurines selection menu including the identified two or more figurines; receiving, using the hardware processor and the control application, a user selection selecting one or more figurines of the identified two or more figurines; identifying, using the hardware processor and the figurines database and based on the user selection, a first entertainment performance as being associated with each of the selected one or more figurines in the figurines database; transmitting, using the hardware processor and the control application, control signals to the selected one or more figurines via the transceiver, wherein a first control signal of the control signals instructs a first figurine of the selected one or more figurines to perform a first portion of the identified first entertainment performance corresponding to the first figurine; and performing, by the first figurine of the selected one or more figurines, the first portion of the first portion of identified first entertainment performance according to the first control signal.