Dynamic App Programming Environment with Physical Object Interaction

Abstract

An app programming environment that enables a smartphone or tablet app to incorporate real toys or objects into the app, by use of a NFC chip located in the toy or object and a database comprising information regarding the toy or object used.

1 . A system for interactive play with physical and virtual elements, comprising:
 at least one physical manipulative;   a computing device comprising:
 a display; 
 a user interface; 
 an identification module for identifying the at least one physical manipulative; 
 a communication module for communicating with a server; 
   a server comprising a database, said database comprising:
 a listing of physical manipulatives; 
 for each physical manipulative, at least one descriptive attribute; 
   wherein the computing device is configured to:
 identify the physical manipulative; 
 look up at least one descriptive attribute associated with the physical manipulative in the database; 
 display or modify an animation related to the at least one descriptive attribute on the display. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical manipulative is one of the following group: an animal figure, a cartoon character figure, a doll, an action figure, a vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one descriptive attribute is at least one of the following group: personality, habits, sounds, phrases, geographic origin, size, diet, spelling of a name, pronunciation of a name, at least one Internet link. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the identification module comprises at least one of the following: a camera, a NFC module, a QR reader, a bar code reader, a RF receiver, a sound detection device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 detect a motion pattern of the physical manipulative;   display or modify an animation relating to the motion pattern on the display.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the physical manipulative emits a sound, wherein the identification module is configured to detect the sound and to identify the physical manipulative based on the sound. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the physical manipulative emits the sound when at least one of the following actions is performed: the physical manipulative is squeezed, the physical manipulative is pressed, the physical manipulative is moved. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the action generates energy that is used to make the physical manipulative emit the sound. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 detect an orientation of the physical manipulative;   display an animation relating to the orientation on the display.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a first physical manipulative and a second physical manipulative, wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 detect one of the following: the relative position of the two physical manipulatives, the absolute position of each physical manipulative, the orientation of each physical manipulative;   display an animation relating to the interaction between the first physical manipulative and the second physical manipulative.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sound input device;   wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 detect a sound received by the sound input device; 
 look up the sound in the database; 
 determine the physical manipulative associated with the sound; 
 display an animation relating to the physical manipulative and to the sound. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 detect a voice command received by the sound input device;   display an animation relating to the physical manipulative and the voice command.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the physical manipulative comprises a sound generating device, wherein the computing device is further configured to:
 detect sounds emitted by the physical manipulative;   display an animation relating to the physical manipulative.   
     
     
         14 . A method of entertaining a child, comprising:
 detecting the presence of at least one physical manipulative near a computing device;   identifying the at least one physical manipulative;   using the computing device to look up at least one descriptive attribute associated with the at least one physical manipulative;   using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 detecting a motion pattern of the physical manipulative near the computing device;   using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute and the motion pattern.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 detecting the presence of a second physical manipulative near the computing device;   using the computing device to look up at least one second descriptive attribute associated with the second physical manipulative;   using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute and the at least one second descriptive attribute.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 detecting a sound near the computing device;   using the computing device to look up a physical manipulative associated with the sound;   using the computing device to look up at least one descriptive attribute associated with the physical manipulative;   using the computing device to display an animation relating to the at least one descriptive attribute.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sound is emitted by the physical manipulative. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , where the at least one descriptive attribute is at least one of the following group: personality, habits, sounds, phrases, geographic origin, size, diet, spelling of a name, pronunciation of a name, link to the Internet. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , where the at least one physical manipulative is at least one of the following group: an animal figure, a cartoon character figure, a doll, an action figure, a vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the step of identifying the at least one physical manipulative is performed by at least one of the following: a QR reader, a bar code reader, a camera, a NFC reader, a RF receiver, a sound detection device.