System and method for the construction of interactive virtual objects

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for constructing an interactive virtual object in a virtual environment implemented in a computer, wherein the computer comprises one or more input devices and one or more output devices providing a user interface allowing a user to interact with the virtual environment, wherein the virtual environment comprises a first virtual construction element carrying a first interactive behavior and a second virtual construction element not carrying the first interactive behavior, wherein the first and second virtual construction elements are connectable to each other by means of a coupling mechanism to form a combined virtual object, and wherein the first virtual construction element imparts the first interactive behavior to the combined virtual object when the first and second construction elements are connected to each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A system for constructing interacting virtual objects comprising:
 a user input device; and   a processing unit configured to:
 provide an interactive virtual environment to a user based on programmed instructions, virtual toy construction library data, or virtual environment data, the interactive virtual environment defining virtual toy construction elements configured for building virtual toy construction models; 
 receive a signal for the input device by a user; 
 build, via a building mode, a virtual toy construction model from the virtual toy construction elements provided by the virtual environment based on the signal received by the input device, the virtual toy construction model configured to provide interactive functionality determined by a functional behavior of the virtual toy construction model, wherein: 
   the virtual toy construction elements are configured to have a specific interactive behavior associated therewith,   the functional behavior of the virtual toy construction model activated by a stimulus received at a stimulus input of the virtual toy construction model, the received stimulus activating a response function producing a response at a response output of the virtual toy construction model,   the stimulus derived from an activating event, such as entering a particular operational mode, or entering a testing function within a building mode of the system, or from a response output provided by the virtual toy construction elements,   the building mode provides configuration elements and indicators on a user interface adapted for configuring the virtual toy construction elements, testing components adapted for testing the functional behavior of virtual toy construction elements,   the system is configured for multiple users to join the same virtual environment for building virtual toy construction models together,   the system also includes a playing mode separate from the building mode configured for playing with the virtual toy construction model constructed from the virtual toy construction elements, the playing mode allowing a user to play a video game that has been created using the system,   the virtual toy construction elements including action virtual toy construction elements, the action virtual toy construction elements, responsive to receiving, the stimulus at the stimulus input, activating an action response at the response output such as a motion, sound, and/or virtual effects, the action virtual toy construction elements selected from the group consisting of: an animation brick, sound brick, control brick, elevator brick, explosion brick, hazard brick, hovering brick, tracking brick, game lost brick, transport brick, to-and-fro brick, rotation brick, gun brick, and game won brick,   the virtual toy construction elements including trigger virtual toy construction elements, the trigger virtual toy construction elements, responsive to receiving the stimulus at the stimulus input, activating a trigger response at the response output, the trigger virtual toy construction elements selected from the group consisting of: a button brick, proximity brick, pick-up trigger brick, random number brick, timer brick, and touch brick.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the interactive virtual environment includes a coordinate system for defining positions of virtual objects, the coordinate system having a reference plane. 
     
     
         24 . A system fir constructing interacting virtual objects comprising:
 a user input device; and   a processing unit configured to:
 provide an interactive virtual environment to a user based on programmed instructions, virtual toy construction library data, or virtual environment data, the interactive virtual environment defining virtual toy construction elements configured for building virtual toy construction models; 
 receive a signal for the input device by a user; 
 build, a virtual toy construction model from the virtual toy construction elements provided by the virtual environment based on the signal received by the input device.