Method of changing processor-generated individual characterizations presented on multiple interacting processor-controlled objects

Abstract

Processor-controlled objects, such as inter-communicating processor-controlled blocks, are adapted to present changeable individual characterizations to a user. A user manipulating the objects can cause, over time, a designated object to inherit characterizations and properties from other interacting objects to permit scalability in a set of such objects. The communication of individual characterization between interacting objects allows generation of sensory responses (in a response generator of a specific object or otherwise in a response generator associated with at least one other similar objects) based on proximity, relative position and the individual characterization presented on and by those interacting objects at the time of interaction. In this way, a set of objects has vastly extended interactive capabilities since each object is capable of dynamically taking on different characterizations arising from a meaningful combination of properties from different conjoined objects.

1 . A method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations presented on each of a plurality of objects that selectively interact, the method comprising:
 generating and displaying under powered processor-control first visual display material on a first movable object, the first visual display material having a first changeable individual characterization having a first property;   sensing proximity and relative position of second visual display material generated and displayed under powered processor-control on a second movable object separate to the first movable object, the second object brought into processor-resolvable interacting proximity with the first moveable object by manipulation of one or more of the first movable object and the second movable object, the second visual display material having a second changeable individual characterization independent to the first individual characterization, the second changeable individual characterization having a second property;   in response to processor-resolved interaction between said first and second changeable individual characterizations arising from sensed proximity and relative position of the first and second objects, generating a user-perceivable sensory response from a response generator, wherein the user-perceivable sensory response is dependent upon said sensed relative positions of the first visual display material to the second visual display material and is indicative of a contextual relationship that arises between said first property of the first changeable individual characterizations and the second property of the second changeable individual characterizations; and   under processor-control, selectively and autonomously changing with time the individual characterizations on at least one of the first and second objects such that the first property and the second property change to allow different processor-resolvable interactions to take place between the first and second objects, which different processor-resolvable interactions give rise to new user-perceivable sensory responses.   
     
     
         2 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein the change in property and individual characterization presented by one of the plurality of objects is dependent upon the processor-resolved interaction and contextual relationship between the first changeable individual characterization presented on the first object and the second changeable individual characterization presented on the second object. 
     
     
         3 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein the change to the first property and/or the second property includes an auditory change. 
     
     
         4 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein the change to the first property and/or the second property includes a visual change. 
     
     
         5 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein the user-perceivable sensory response is a phonetic sound produced by combined interaction of said first and second changeable individual characterizations and their respective first and second meanings. 
     
     
         6 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein generating the user-perceivable sensory response further generates:
 an audible representation of the first changeable individual characterization; and   an audible representation of the second changeable individual characterization.   
     
     
         7 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 under processor-control, selectively changing with time said changeable individual characterizations displayed on said plurality of objects based upon:   i) nearby detection and relative position of objects; and   ii) individual characterizations presented by interacting objects at the time of their detection and interaction.   
     
     
         8 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein the user-perceivable sensory response is generated for only meaningful non-random interactions between said first and second changeable individual characterizations. 
     
     
         9 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein the user-perceivable sensory response generated from the response generator includes an audible response, a visual response or a combination of an audible and visual response. 
     
     
         10 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 8 , wherein the user-perceivable sensory response includes a related visual animation. 
     
     
         11 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , wherein generating the user-perceivable sensory response includes generating at least one of:
 a phoneme;   a letter, word, phrase or sentence;   speech relating to mathematical properties of a visually presented number; and   an audio musical response corresponding to a musical symbol.   
     
     
         12 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 arranging said first and second objects in a line so that said first visual display material and said second visual display material reads in a meaningful manner along said line; and   locating a third object adjacent to one side of said line of objects, the third object having a third changeable individual characterization presented as third visual display material, the step of adjacently locating causing the third visual display material presented on said third object to change to take on the combination of said first visual display material and said second visual display material that reads in the meaningful manner along said line.   
     
     
         13 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 locating a third object proximate to the first and second objects, the step of locating causing positioning of the third object in one of a multiplicity of different positions below the first and second objects, the third object having a third changeable individual characterization;   determining relative positions between the first, second and third objects;   in the event that said relative position between the first and second objects results in production of a non-random meaningful, interaction between at least the first and second individual characterizations that produces one of a phoneme, a word a mathematical property or a musical response, effecting a processor-controlled change to the third changeable individual characterization presented on the third object by generating a new changeable individual characterization that is presented on the third object and which new changeable individual characterization reflects:   i) the meaningful interaction taking place between the first and second individual characterizations; and   ii) the relative position between the first, second and third objects.   
     
     
         14 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 12 , wherein each object is arranged to generate and display a changeable individual characterization in the form of:
 at least one letter;   a word;   a number;   a mathematical symbol; or   a musical symbol.   
     
     
         15 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selectively programming each of the plurality of objects to present over time a multiplicity of properties under processor-control.   
     
     
         16 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based on relative position between the first and second movable objects, having the first movable object inherit properties associated with at least the second changeable individual characterization of the second movable object.   
     
     
         17 . A method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations presented on each of a plurality of objects that selectively interact, the method comprising:
 generating and presenting under powered processor-control first visual display material on a processor-controlled object, the first visual display material having a first changeable individual characterization with a first property;   sensing proximity and relative position of second visual display material generated and presented under processor-control on a second object movable independently of said processor-controlled object, the second object brought into processor-resolvable interacting proximity with said processor-controlled object by manipulation of one or more of said processor-controlled object and the second object, the second visual display material having a processor-controlled second changeable individual characterization independent of the first individual characterization, the second changeable individual characterization having a second property;   sensing proximity and relative position of third visual display material generated and presented under processor-control on a third object movable independently of said processor-controlled object, the third object brought into processor-resolvable interacting proximity with said processor-controlled object by its relative manipulation with respect to the second object, the third visual display material having a processor-controlled third changeable individual characterization independent of the first and second individual characterizations, the third changeable individual characterization having a third property, the second and third properties of the second and third objects interacting with one another when located side-by-side in a line to produce a combination;   under processor control changing the first changeable individual characterization with the first property to a fourth changeable individual characterization with a fourth property such that the fourth changeable individual characterization is presented on said processor-controlled object, the fourth property different to the first property, the fourth individual characterization being the combination inherited from the second and third individual characterizations provided that the in-line side-by-side combination has a contextual relevance that is not random; and   determining new processor-resolvable interactions involving said processor-controlled object now having the fourth changeable individual characterization and generating and outputting audible and/or visual user-perceivable sensory responses from a response generator to reflect contextually relevant processor-resolvable interactions that reflect and/or involve the fourth changeable individual characterization.   
     
     
         18 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 assembling a first line of objects containing only the processor-controlled object and assembling a second line of objects contains the second and third objects but not the processor-controlled object;   determining that the first and second lines are interacting; and   determining whether the second and third changeable individual characterizations combine to provide a contextually relevant combination that is not random,   subject to the second and third changeable individual characterizations combining to provide a contextually relevant combination that is not random, causing the first changeable individual characterization to change to the fourth changeable individual characterization by inheriting the contextually relevant combination based on an edge justification determined by the processor-controlled object in the first line relative to the contextually relevant combination in the second line.   
     
     
         19 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 17 , wherein the contextually relevant combination inherited as the fourth changeable individual characterization includes at least the second and third changeable individual characterizations. 
     
     
         20 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 assembling a first line of objects containing only the processor-controlled object and assembling a second line of objects containing at least the second and third objects but not the processor-controlled object;   determining that the first and second lines are interacting; and   determining whether at least the second and third changeable individual characterizations combine to provide a contextually relevant combination that is not random,   subject to the second and third changeable individual characterizations combining to provide a contextually relevant combination that is not random, causing the first changeable individual characterization to the change to the fourth changeable individual characterization by inheriting the contextually relevant combination based on an edge justification determined by the processor-controlled object in the first line relative to the contextually relevant combination in the second line.   
     
     
         21 . A method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations presented on each of a plurality of objects that selectively interact, the method comprising:
 generating and presenting under powered processor-control first visual display material on a processor-controlled object, the first visual display material having a first changeable individual characterization with a first property;   sensing proximity and relative position of second visual display material generated and presented under processor-control on a second object movable independently of said processor-controlled object, the second object brought into processor-resolvable interacting proximity with said processor-controlled object by manipulation of one or more of said processor-controlled object and the second object, the second visual display material having a processor-controlled second changeable individual characterization independent of the first individual characterization, the second changeable individual characterization having a second property;   sensing proximity and relative position of third visual display material generated and presented under processor-control on a third object movable independently of said processor-controlled object, the third object brought into processor-resolvable interacting proximity with said processor-controlled object by its relative manipulation with respect to the second object, the third visual display material having a processor-controlled third changeable individual characterization independent of the first and second individual characterizations, the third changeable individual characterization having a third property, the second and third properties of the second and third objects interacting with one another when located side-by-side in a line to produce a combination;   sensing proximity and relative position of fourth visual display material generated and presented under processor-control on a fourth object movable independently of said processor-controlled object, the fourth object brought into processor-resolvable interacting proximity with said processor-controlled object by its relative manipulation with respect to the second and third object, the fourth visual display material having a processor-controlled fourth changeable individual characterization independent of the first, second and third individual characterizations, the fourth changeable individual characterization having a fourth property, wherein the second, third and fourth properties of the second, third and fourth objects interacting with one another when located side-by-side in a line to produce a combination;   under processor control changing the first changeable individual characterization with the first property to a fifth changeable individual characterization with a fifth property such that the fifth changeable individual characterization is presented on said processor-controlled object, the fifth property different to the first property, the fifth individual characterization being the combination inherited from the second, third and fourth individual characterizations provided that the in-line side-by-side combination has a contextual relevance that is not random; and   determining new processor-resolvable interactions involving said processor-controlled object now having the fifth changeable individual characterization and generating and outputting audible and/or visual user-perceivable sensory responses from a response generator to reflect contextually relevant processor-resolvable interactions that reflect and/or involve the fifth changeable individual characterization.   
     
     
         22 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 assembling a first line of objects containing only the processor-controlled object and assembling a second line of objects containing the second, third and fourth objects but not the processor-controlled object;   determining whether the first and second lines are interacting; and   determining whether the second, third and fourth changeable individual characterizations combine to provide a contextually relevant combination that is not random,   subject to the second, third and fourth changeable individual characterizations combining to provide a contextually relevant combination that is not random, causing the first changeable individual characterization to the change to the fifth changeable individual characterization by inheriting the contextually relevant combination based on an edge justification determined by the processor-controlled object in the first line relative to the contextually relevant combination in the second line.   
     
     
         23 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 21 , wherein the contextually relevant combination inherited as the fifth changeable individual characterization includes at least the second, third and fourth changeable individual characterizations. 
     
     
         24 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 inheriting and displaying a word produced from multiple similar interacting objects positioned in the line above said processor-controlled object.   
     
     
         25 . The method of controllably presenting changeable, processor-generated individual characterizations of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 inheriting phonetic properties produced from at least two similar interacting objects positioned in a line above said processor-controlled object and provided that interacting properties of the at two similar objects combine to provide a non-random phonetically meaningful combination.