- Number
- 9914057
- Published
- 2018-03-13
- Filed
- 2017-06-30
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Muhlheim; Eric Wilson; Haseltine; Eric Charles; Garlington; Joseph OBrien; Leung; Theodore Wei-Yun; Schlumberger; Gabriel Sebastian
- CPC
- A63F13/327; G11B27/034; A63F13/65; A63F13/53; A63F13/45; A63F13/40; A63F13/50; A63F13/42; A63F13/47; A63F13/537; G11B27/105; G11B27/34
- Verdict
- Medium Notable software
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Immersive interactive storytelling environment.
Abstract
Techniques for providing an immersive storytelling experience using a plurality of storytelling devices. Each of the storytelling devices may be configured to perform one or more actions based on a current context of a story and in response to a stimulus event. The actions include at least one of an auditory and a visual effect. Embodiments also provide a controller device configured to manage a playback of the story, by adjusting the stimulus event and the effect of each of the plurality of storytelling devices, based on the current context of the story, thereby creating an interactive and immersive storytelling experience.
Background
BACKGROUNDField of the Invention(1) The present invention generally relates to a home entertainment, and more specifically to techniques for providing an immersive storytelling environment using storytelling devices.Description of the Related Art(2) Computer graphics technology has come a long way since video games were first developed. Relatively inexpensive 3D graphics engines now provide nearly photo-realistic interactive game play on hand-held video game, home video game and personal computer hardware platforms costing only a few hundred dollars. These video game systems typically include a hand-held controller, game controller, or, in the case of a hand-held video game platform, an integrated controller. A user or player uses the controller to send commands or other instructions to the video game system to control a video game or other simulation being played. For example, the controller may be provided with a manipulator (e.g., a joystick) and buttons operated by the user.(3) While video games may allow the user to interact directly with the video game system, such interactions primarily influence the graphical depiction shown on the video game device (or on a connected display), and rarely influence any other objects outside of the virtual world. That is, a user may specify an input to the video game system, indicating that the user's avatar should perform a jump action, and in response the video game system could display the user's avatar jumping. However, such intera
Claims
1. A system, comprising: a plurality of electronic devices, each configured to produce an effect based on a current context of a story in response to detecting an occurrence of a stimulus event, wherein the effect is at least one of an auditory and a visual effect, and wherein at least one of the respective stimulus events for each of the plurality of electronic devices comprises detecting, based on data values collected from one or more sensor devices, performance of a user action by a first user in a physical environment in which the plurality of electronic devices and the first user are located; and a controller device configured to: determine that the plurality of electronic devices are present in the physical environment and are available and compatible with the story, through wireless communication with each of the plurality of electronic devices; manage a playback of the story within the physical environment, by transmitting one or more instructions to each of the plurality of electronic devices to adjust the stimulus event and the effect of each of the plurality of electronic devices, based on the current context of the story; during the playback of the story, determine that a first one of the plurality of electronic devices has become unavailable; and adjust the playback of the story within the physical environment, by transmitting one or more instructions to each of a second plurality of electronic devices, non-inclusive of the first electronic device, to update the stimulus event and the effect of each of the second plurality of electronic devices, based on an updated context of the story.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed, performs an operation comprising: providing a plurality of electronic devices, each configured to produce an effect based on a current context of a story in response to a stimulus event, wherein the effect is at least one of an auditory and a visual effect, and wherein at least one of the respective stimulus events for each of the plurality of electronic devices comprises detecting, based on data values collected from one or more sensor devices, performance of a user action by a first user in a physical environment in which the plurality of electronic devices and the first user are located; determining that the plurality of electronic devices are present in the physical environment and are available and compatible with the story, through wireless communication with each of the plurality of electronic devices; transmitting one or more instructions to each of the plurality of electronic devices to manage a playback of the story within the physical environment, by adjusting the stimulus event and the effect of each of the plurality of electronic devices, based on the current context of the story; and during the playback of the story: determining that a first one of the plurality of electronic devices has become unavailable; determining that a second electronic device, distinct from the electronic devices in the plurality of electronic devices is present within the physical environment and is currently available and compatible with the story; and adjusting the playback of the story within the physical environment, by transmitting one or more instructions to each of a second plurality of electronic devices, non-inclusive of the first electronic device and inclusive of the second electronic device, to update the stimulus event and the effect of each of the second plurality of electronic devices, based on an updated context of the story.
19. A system, comprising: a plurality of electronic devices, each configured to produce an effect based on a current context of a story in response to detecting an occurrence of a stimulus event, wherein the effect is at least one of an auditory and a visual effect, and wherein at least one of the respective stimulus events for each of the plurality of electronic devices comprises detecting performance of a user action by a first user in a physical environment in which the plurality of electronic devices and the first user are located; and a controller device configured to: determine that the plurality of electronic devices are present in the physical environment and are available and compatible with the story, through wireless communication with each of the plurality of electronic devices; manage a playback of the story within the physical environment, comprising: transmitting one or more instructions to each of the plurality of electronic devices to adjust the stimulus event and the effect of each of the plurality of electronic devices, based on the current context of the story; upon determining that a first one of the plurality of electronic devices has become unavailable, transmitting one or more instructions to each of a second plurality of electronic devices, non-inclusive of the first electronic device, to update the stimulus event and the effect of each of the second plurality of electronic devices, based on an updated context of the story; upon determining that a second electronic device, distinct from the electronic devices in the plurality of electronic devices is present within the physical environment and is currently available and compatible with the story, transmitting one or more instructions to each of a second plurality of electronic devices, non-inclusive of the first electronic device and inclusive of the second electronic device, to update the stimulus event and the effect of each of the second plurality of electronic devices, based on an updated context of the story, wherein at least one of the stimulus event and the effects is reassigned from the first electronic device to the second electronic device, and wherein the second electronic device was not available when the controller device determined that the plurality of electronic devices were present in the physical environment and were available and compatible with the story.