Construction toy with programmable connectors

Abstract

A construction toy includes a housing and a connector coupled to the housing. The connector may be configured to selectively couple the construction toy to a second construction toy. The connector may be adjustable between at least two connectivity states. The construction toy may also include an operating assembly configured to adjust the connector between the at least two connectivity states. The construction toy may further include a power source configured to supply power to at least the operating assembly.

1 . A construction toy comprising:
 a housing;   a connector coupled to the housing, the connector being configured to selectively couple the construction toy to a second construction toy, the connector being adjustable between at least two connectivity states;   a programmable computer element configured to execute one or more instructions pertaining to adjusting the connector between the at least two connectivity states;   a memory operatively coupled to the programmable computer element, the memory being configured to store the one or more instructions;   a sensing element configured to detect an input value pertaining to the second construction toy relative to the construction toy;   an operating assembly configured to adjust the connector between the at least two connectivity states responsive to the input value pertaining to the second construction toy relative to the construction toy; and   an internal power source configured to supply power to at least the operating assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The construction toy of  claim 1 , wherein the operating assembly comprises
 a communication element to communicate between the construction toy and a host computer.   
     
     
         3 . The construction toy of  claim 2 , wherein the operating assembly comprises an actuator coupled to the connector, the actuator being configured to change a connectivity state of the connector between the at least two connectivity states of the connector. 
     
     
         4 . The construction toy of  claim 3 , wherein the at least two connectivity states comprise:
 a first connectivity state that includes the actuator physically being in a male configuration; and   a second connectivity state that includes the actuator or the housing physically being in a female configuration.   
     
     
         5 . The construction toy of  claim 4 , wherein the at least two connectivity states further comprise a third connectivity state that includes the actuator physically being in a neutral configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The construction toy of  claim 2 , wherein the operating assembly comprises an electromagnet coupled to the connector, the electromagnet being configured to change the state of the connector. 
     
     
         7 . The construction toy of  claim 6 , wherein the at least two connectivity states comprise:
 a first connectivity state that includes the electromagnet being in powered-off configuration; and   a second connectivity state that includes the electromagnet being in powered-on configuration.   
     
     
         8 . The construction toy of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more instructions include an instruction for the programmable computer element to cause the state of the connector to change in response to receiving an indication from the sensing element that the second construction toy is within a predetermined distance from the construction toy. 
     
     
         9 . The construction toy of  claim 2 , wherein the programmable computer element includes instructions to cause the state of the connector to change in response to receiving an indication of the sensing element that a player has engaged in a threshold number of repetitive actions. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by a construction toy, a connection to a host computer device via a wireless network, wherein the construction toy includes:
 a sensor to detect a location characteristic pertaining to a second construction toy relative to the construction toy; and 
 a first connector being configured to selectively couple the construction toy to the second construction toy, the first connector being adjustable between at least two connectivity states; 
   sending the location characteristic to the host computer device;   receiving, by the construction toy, an instruction from the host computer device to change a connectivity state of the first connector to a first connectivity state, wherein the instruction is based on the location characteristic pertaining to the second construction toy relative to the construction toy; and   causing the connectivity state of the first connector to change to the first connectivity state.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the instruction includes a block identifier (ID), the method further comprising determining whether the block ID corresponds to the construction toy, wherein the construction toy is to cause the connectivity state of the first connector to change to the first connectivity state when the block ID corresponds to the construction toy. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising detecting the location characteristic, wherein the location characteristic includes a proximity of a second construction toy. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second construction toy includes a second connector being adjustable between the at least two connectivity states, the method further comprising:
 identifying a state of the second connector as being in a second connectivity state, wherein the first connectivity state and the second connectivity state are an opposing pair to be selectively coupled.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 detecting a connection event between the first connector on the construction toy and the second connector on the second construction toy; and 
 sending an indication of the connection event to the host computer device. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the instruction includes an instruction to disable a predetermined connection event. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein executable code that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a connection between a construction toy and a host computer device via a wireless network, wherein the construction toy includes:
 a sensor to detect a location characteristic pertaining to a second construction toy relative to the construction toy; and 
 a first connector being configured to selectively couple the construction toy to the second construction toy, the first connector being adjustable between at least two connectivity states; 
   sending the location characteristic to the host computer device;   receiving, by the construction toy, an instruction from the host computer device to change a connectivity state of the first connector to a first connectivity state, wherein the instruction is based on the location characteristic pertaining to the second construction toy relative to the construction toy; and   causing the connectivity state of the first connector to change to the first connectivity state.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instruction includes a block identifier (ID), the operations further comprising determining whether the block ID corresponds to the construction toy, wherein the construction toy is to cause the connectivity state of the first connector to change to the first connectivity state when the block ID corresponds to the construction toy. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , the operations further comprising detecting the location characteristic, wherein the location characteristic includes a proximity of a second construction toy. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the second construction toy includes a second connector being adjustable between the at least two connectivity states, the operations further comprising:
 identifying a state of the second connector as being in a second connectivity state, wherein the first connectivity state and the second connectivity state are an opposing pair to be selectively coupled.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting a connection or disconnection event between the first connector on the construction toy and the second connector on the second construction toy; and   sending an indication of the connection or disconnection event to the host computer device.