U.S. patent application number 15/045546 was filed with the patent office on 2016-06-09 for methods for enabling real-time digital object and tangible object interactions.
The applicant listed for this patent is SnowShoeFood, Inc.. Invention is credited to Iggy Igner, Sheradyn Mikul, Claus Moberg, Jami Morton, Philipe Navarro, Isaac Ray.
Application Number | 20160162684 15/045546 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54190793 |
Filed Date | 2016-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160162684 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Moberg; Claus ; et
al. |
June 9, 2016 |
METHODS FOR ENABLING REAL-TIME DIGITAL OBJECT AND TANGIBLE OBJECT
INTERACTIONS
Abstract
A method for authorizing an electronic device to perform an
action includes detecting interaction data from an interaction
between a hardware sensor and an identity-augmented tangible
object; wherein data of the first set of interaction data is
intrinsically dependent on physical characteristics of the
identity-augmented tangible device; computing parametric
descriptors from the interaction data; transmitting the parametric
descriptors and supplementary data to a remote database system;
generating, on the remote database system, identity data from a
comparison of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric
descriptors; and authorizing, in response to both of the identity
data and the supplementary data, the electronic device to perform a
first action.
Inventors: |
Moberg; Claus; (Madison,
WI) ; Morton; Jami; (Madison, WI) ; Mikul;
Sheradyn; (Madison, WI) ; Navarro; Philipe;
(Madison, WI) ; Igner; Iggy; (Madison, WI)
; Ray; Isaac; (Madison, WI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SnowShoeFood, Inc. |
Madison |
WI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54190793 |
Appl. No.: |
15/045546 |
Filed: |
February 17, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14676048 |
Apr 1, 2015 |
9298907 |
|
|
15045546 |
|
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61973455 |
Apr 1, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
726/18 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 2203/04104
20130101; G06F 3/044 20130101; H04L 67/10 20130101; H04L 63/0876
20130101; H04L 63/102 20130101; G06F 3/0488 20130101; G06F 21/44
20130101; G06F 16/955 20190101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 21/44 20060101
G06F021/44; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30; G06F 3/044 20060101
G06F003/044 |
Claims
1. A method for authorizing an electronic device having a
capacitive touch sensor to perform an action, the method
comprising: detecting, with the capacitive touch sensor, a first
set of interaction data from an interaction between the capacitive
touch sensor and a capacitively interactive hardware tool, the
capacitively interactive hardware tool comprising: a substrate, a
set of capacitive contact areas arranged in a spatial pattern on
the substrate, and a current coupler electrically coupled to the
set of capacitive contact areas; wherein proximity of the set of
capacitive contact areas of the capacitively interactive hardware
tool to the capacitive touch sensors results in a detected change
in capacitance at the capacitive touch sensor when the current
coupler is electrically coupled to a current sink or current
source; computing, on the electronic device, a first set of
parametric descriptors from the first set of interaction data;
transmitting the first set of parametric descriptors to a remote
database system; generating, on the remote database system, a first
set of identity data from a comparison of the first set of
parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors,
the known set of parametric descriptors contained in the remote
database system; and authorizing, in response to the first set of
identity data, the electronic device to perform an action.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of interaction data
comprises a first set of points of capacitive interaction resulting
from a user moving the capacitively interactive hardware tool into
proximity of the capacitive touch sensor.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of interaction data
further comprises data describing whether the capacitively hardware
interactive was moved in a specific manner in proximity of the
capacitive touch sensor.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein all points of the first set of
points of capacitive interaction are detected simultaneously.
5. A method for authorizing an electronic device to perform an
action, the method comprising: detecting a first set of interaction
data from an interaction between a hardware sensor of the
electronic device and an identity-augmented tangible object;
wherein the identity-augmented tangible object is a physical object
that occupies a three-dimensional volume and has a mass; wherein
data of the first set of interaction data is intrinsically
dependent on physical characteristics of the identity-augmented
tangible device; computing, on the electronic device, a first set
of parametric descriptors from the first set of interaction data;
transmitting the first set of parametric descriptors to a remote
database system; transmitting supplementary data to the remote
database system; generating, on the remote database system, a first
set of identity data from a comparison of the first set of
parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors,
the known set of parametric descriptors contained in the remote
database system; and authorizing, in response to both of the first
set of identity data and the supplementary data, the electronic
device to perform a first action.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the supplementary data contains a
physical location of the electronic device.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the supplementary data contains a
timestamp.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the supplementary data contains
information about a user of the electronic device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the supplementary data contains
information describing progress of the user within a video
game.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the supplementary data contains
an account identifier of the user.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein authorizing the electronic
device to perform a first action further comprises modifying
identity data linked to the user.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein authorizing the electronic
device to perform a first action further comprises modifying
identity data linked to the user.
13. A method for authorization transfer between first and second
mobile electronic devices using a single identity-augmented
tangible object, the steps comprising: detecting a first set of
interaction data from an interaction between a hardware sensor of
the first mobile electronic device and the identity-augmented
tangible object; wherein the identity-augmented tangible object is
a physical object that occupies a three-dimensional volume and has
a mass; wherein data of the first set of interaction data is
intrinsically dependent on physical characteristics of the
identity-augmented tangible device; computing, on the first mobile
electronic device, a first set of parametric descriptors from the
first set of identification data; transmitting the first set of
parametric descriptors to a remote database system; generating, on
the remote database system, a first set of identity data from a
comparison of the first set of parametric descriptors with a known
set of parametric descriptors, the known set of parametric
descriptors contained in the remote database system; authorizing,
in response to the first set of identity data, the first mobile
electronic device to perform a first action; detecting a second set
of interaction data from an interaction between a hardware sensor
of the second mobile electronic device and the identity-augmented
tangible object; computing, on the second mobile electronic device,
a second set of parametric descriptors from the second set of
identification data; transmitting the second set of parametric
descriptors to a remote database system; generating, on the remote
database system, a second set of identity data from a comparison of
the second set of parametric descriptors with the known set of
parametric descriptors; deauthorizing, in response to the second
set of identity data, the first mobile electronic device to perform
the first action; and authorizing, in response to the second set of
identity data, the second mobile electronic device to perform a
second action.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first action and the second
action are identical actions.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein deauthorizing comprises
deauthorizing in response to authorizing the second mobile
electronic device.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first set of parametric
descriptors and the second set of parametric descriptors are
identical.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the identity-augmented tangible
object includes an identifier selected from a group of identifiers
consisting of an NFC tag, a QR code, and a capacitively interactive
hardware tool.
18. A method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting
supplementary data to the remote database system; wherein the
supplementary data contains information about a first user, wherein
the first user is a user of the first electronic device.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the supplementary data contains
information about a second user, wherein the second user is a user
of the second electronic device.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein deauthorizing the first mobile
electronic device to perform the first action comprises
deauthorizing the first mobile electronic device to perform the
first action in response to both of the first set of identity data
and the supplementary data; wherein authorizing the second mobile
electronic device to perform the second action comprises
authorizing the second mobile electronic device to perform the
second action in response to both of the second set of identity
data and the supplementary data.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/676,048, filed on 1 Apt. 2015, which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/973,455, filed
on 1 Apr. 2014, both of which are incorporated in their entireties
by this reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates generally to the consumer electronics
field, and more specifically to new and useful methods for enabling
real-time digital object and tangible object interactions in the
consumer electronics field.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The link between tangible objects and their digital
counterparts is an important part of the entertainment, sales, and
security industries. Tangible objects give a sense of ownership,
are less easily duplicated than their digital counterparts, and can
be transferred through traditional sales methods. Further, they
provide a realism of experience unmatched by digital objects.
However, linking between tangible and digital objects can be
cumbersome and unwieldy, leading to security issues and/or user
dissatisfaction. Thus, there is a need in the consumer electronics
field to create methods for enabling real-time digital object and
tangible object interactions. This invention provides such new and
useful methods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0004] FIG. 1 is a chart view of a method of a preferred
embodiment;
[0005] FIG. 2 is an example view of a authorization transfer of a
method of a preferred embodiment; and
[0006] FIG. 3 is a diagram view of an example use case of a method
of a preferred embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0007] The following description of the preferred embodiments of
the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these
preferred embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled in
the art to make and use this invention.
[0008] The following methods are directed to the enablement of
real-time digital object and tangible object interactions.
Interactions between the digital world and tangible objects are
typically mediated by electronic devices. One way to enable these
interactions is to allow interactions between tangible objects and
electronic devices that sense those objects to affect the digital
realm, as accessed by the electronic devices. In this way, tangible
objects can interact with digital objects or other data in the
digital realm by, for example, authorizing a particular action in
software on the electronic devices.
1. Method for Authorizing an Electronic Device to Perform an
Action
[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, a method 100 for authorizing an
electronic device to perform an action includes detecting a first
set of interaction data S110; computing a first set of parametric
descriptors from the first set of interaction data S120;
transmitting the first set of parametric descriptors to a remote
database system S130; generating a first set of identity data from
a comparison of the first set of parametric descriptors with a
known set of parametric descriptors S140; and authorizing the
electronic device to perform an action in response to the first set
of identity data S150. The method 100 may additionally or
alternatively include deauthorizing the electronic device to
perform an action S160.
[0010] The method 100 functions to authorize an electronic device
to perform an action after detection (preferably locally) and
identification (preferably on a remote server) of an
identity-augmented tangible object (IATO) configured to enable
authorization of that action. An identity-augmented tangible object
(IATO) is a tangible object (e.g. a figurine, a toy, a beverage
container, or a business card) with detectable physical
characteristics that has, through those detectable physical
characteristics, been linked to a digital identity. An
identity-augmented tangible object may be, for example, a toy
containing a near-field communication (NFC) chip that communicates
the identity of the toy or identifies the toy as a member of a
category of toys, a customer loyalty card containing a
quick-response (QR) code, or an individually manufactured
capacitively interactive hardware tool. Using IATOs as a means of
identification for tangible objects may provide a number of
advantages, including increasing authorization security,
simplifying ownership transfers, and enhancing user experiences.
Authorizing an action via tangible objects may also provide
advantages for interaction with the tangible objects; even static
objects may, through their ability to authorize an action on an
electronic device, offer a dynamic experience. Further, the
interaction between the tangible object and electronic devices may
provide further advantages; for example, if an electronic device is
a geolocation-enabled smartphone, the authorized action might be
authorized based on supplementary data related to the electronic
device's particular location as well as a particular tangible
object.
[0011] The method 100 may in particular provide advantages to the
entertainment industry. Using the method 100, owners of an IATO
may, through electronic devices, be authorized to access dynamic
content specific to that IATO. Tangible object manufacturers can
control how an individual object owner is authorized to access the
dynamic content in a number of ways. For instance, a sports
figurine maker may create a series of Andrew Luck (an NFL
quarterback) bobbleheads with unique identification characteristics
(i.e., each bobblehead is distinguishable from the others by the
identification process). Then, dynamic content can be tailored for
each individual bobblehead. The sports figurine maker may also
choose to make the bobbleheads with identical identification
characteristics or semi-identical identification characteristics
(e.g., batches sold in different countries have different
identification characteristics). In this case, the authorization of
access to the dynamic content may simply be related to the
bobblehead type and not to the individual owner. Alternatively, the
manufacturer may use a combination of bobblehead type and other
information (e.g. a user account identified through an electronic
device) to tailor dynamic content to users.
[0012] The method 100 may also in particular provide advantages to
the marketing industry. Using the method 100, proprietors of an
establishment may distribute identity-augmented tangible objects to
their customers that, when detected by a particular customer's
electronic device, authorize the customer to access promotional or
advertising content. Alternatively, various locations corresponding
to a particular proprietor or business may possess their own unique
identity-augmented tangible objects, which can be interacted with
by a customer at that location, enabling the customer to receive
marketing content specific to that location. For instance, an
energy drink company may hold a promotional event in which they
distribute small plastic figurines, imbued with set of physical
characteristics linkable to an identity, to attendees of the event.
Through an application programming interface (API), the energy
drink company may establish a link in a remote database between the
identification characteristics of the figurines and a particular
action to be enabled upon identification of a figurine. For
example, an action may be to apply a monetary credit to a user
account associated with the electronic device that detects the
figurine. A particular attendee, upon interaction with one of the
distributed figurines with a smartphone, could then be authorized
to have the monetary credit applied to the user account associated
with their smartphone. Alternatively, the energy drink company may
only authorize this credit if the figurine is detected within a
particular time period after the original distribution, or if the
detection is performed while the attendee's smartphone is in a
particular geographic location (e.g., the event grounds). The
energy drink company may additionally or alternatively place limits
on how many times monetary credit is applied for a given figurine
and/or user account.
[0013] Step S110 includes detecting a first set of interaction data
from an interaction between an electronic device and an
identity-augmented tangible object. Step S110 functions to allow an
electronic device to identify a tangible object as a valid (or
potentially valid) identity-augmented tangible object, and detect
interaction data from the interaction. Step S110 preferably
includes identifying a capacitively interactive hardware tool as
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/385,049 and/or
U.S. Patent Application No. 61/937,015, both of which are
incorporated in their entireties by this reference. Additionally or
alternatively, Step S110 may be executed in any other suitable
manner, as described below.
[0014] Step S110 includes detecting a first set of interaction
data. Step S110 functions to enable hardware identification on an
electronic device by the identification of some characteristics of
an identity-augmented tangible object through an interaction of the
identity-augmented tangible object and the electronic device. Step
S110 may include detecting interaction data in a number of ways
(for a number of different types of interaction). For example, an
IATO may have a QR code (that contains an identifying code)
readable by a smartphone or other camera-enabled electronic device.
As another example, an IATO may have an NFC or RFID tag containing
identifying information, which can be read by a NFC or RFID reader.
As a third example, an IATO may be shaped in a certain way; the
shape of the IATO could be captured by a camera-enabled electronic
device. As a fourth example, an IATO may display a particular
numerical code, which can be entered into the electronic device by
a user. As a fifth example, an IATO may include a capacitively
interactive hardware tool, which may be identified by interaction
with a smartphone's touchscreen.
[0015] Step S110 preferably includes generating hardware
interaction data from interaction between an electronic device and
an IATO. In the QR code example, this may simply mean translating
the QR code to an ASCII string. In the case of an IATO with a
particular shape, generating hardware interaction data may include
generating a picture of the object, and/or further determining
parametric characteristics of the object's shape, and/or further
translating those parametric characteristics into an identifying
code.
[0016] Step S110 may include generating hardware interaction data
based on any data related to interaction of an IATO and an
electronic device, including any data related to the operating
state of the electronic device at the time of interaction.
[0017] Interaction data preferably includes data intrinsically
linked to physical characteristics of an IATO, but may additionally
or alternatively include additional data collected and/or generated
during Step S110. For example, interaction data might include
whether an IATO matches a known template or not. In the case of the
IATO of a particular shape identified by camera, interaction data
might consist of a parametric description of the shape only if the
shape matches a particular class of shapes. More specifically, if
all authenticating shapes are formed from concentric circles, a
shape having a square might be rejected by the electronic device
(or the interaction data may simply contain a flag that the shape
is not a recognized authenticator instead of a parametric
description of the shape). Interaction data may also contain
spatio-temporal details of the interaction, such as the duration of
the interaction or geo-location of the interaction. In the case
where the interaction involves bringing a capacitive touch sensor
into close proximity of a capacitively interactive hardware tool,
interaction data may consist of where on the touch sensor the
interaction takes place, and/or whether the interaction consists of
moving the hardware tool in a specific manner in the vicinity of
the capacitive touch sensor.
[0018] Step S120 includes computing parametric descriptors from the
interaction data. The interaction data is preferably as described
by Step S110, but may additionally or alternatively be any data
related to interaction between an electronic device and an
identity-augmented tangible object. In one example, object
detection and interaction data generation is performed using a QR
code and a smartphone. The computed parametric descriptors may
include a picture of the QR code, a reproduction of the QR code as
read by the smartphone, the data contained with the QR code, and/or
data processed from the QR code by the smartphone. Parametric
descriptors processed from the QR code might include an identifying
code generated from the QR code and/or information that the QR code
did not match any known QR code. If a parametric descriptor is
contextually known, it may not be computed; for instance, if the
detector of interaction data expected data for a particular object,
the parametric descriptors transmitted may simply include a "yes"
or "no" (in other words, whether the tangible object detection
process ended with a predicted result).
[0019] Step S130 includes transmitting the computed set of
parametric descriptors to a remote database system. The parametric
descriptors are preferably as described by Step S120, but may
additionally or alternatively be any suitable descriptors related
to an identifying representation of detected interaction data. For
example, the parametric descriptors may include the absolute
spatial orientation of a set of points of capacitive interaction
detected when a capacitively interactive hardware tool IATO is
placed in proximity of a capacitive touch sensor. Alternatively,
computed parametric descriptors may include a reduced set of data
pertaining to the relative spatial orientations of each point in
the set of points.
[0020] Step S130 preferably includes transmitting the parametric
descriptors, but may additionally or alternatively transmit other
data related to the parametric descriptors. For example, the
transmission may be a binary notification, such as a confirmation
that parametric descriptors were or were not computed. The
transmission preferably occurs via a wireless internet link, but
may also occur via Bluetooth, a local wireless network, a wired
connection, or any other suitable means of data communication.
[0021] Step S130 may additionally or alternatively include
transmitting supplementary data. Supplementary data is preferably
data related to the state of an electronic device during
interaction, but may additionally or alternatively be any suitable
data usable during authentication. This supplementary data may be
used in a number of ways. For example, the supplementary data might
be used to determine proper authorization of an action (for
instance, an action may only be authorized by a particular
identification method if the identification process occurs at a
particular location) and/or as analytical data (for instance,
allowing a company to track the locations at which identification
occurs for marketing analysis).
[0022] The supplementary data may include sensor data from the
electronic device; e.g., motion data, compass data, touch data,
location data, and/or audio/video data. The supplementary data may
additionally or alternatively include contextual data; e.g., what
apps were running on the electronic device at the time of
identification, what percentage of storage capacity on the
electronic device is free, and/or what operating system the
electronic device is running. The supplementary data may
additionally or alternatively include historical data; e.g., how
often the electronic device has run a particular app over the past
five days, which purchases have been made by the electronic device,
and/or how often the electronic device has been used. Contextual
and/or historical data may be specific to a particular app or
action. As one example, a user touches a plastic axe containing a
capacitive interface to a smartphone to perform a special attack
while playing a game; when the smartphone sends interaction data it
might also send supplementary data about the user's performance in
the game. This supplementary data could be used to identify if the
user's performance was in the top ten percent of users globally
that day, and if so, grant an extra bonus to the performance of the
special attack in game. As another example, a user touches a
smartphone to a plastic stamp containing a capacitive interface
while in a particular coffee shop; when the smartphone sends the
interaction data it may also send supplementary data about the
location of the coffee shop and/or the smartphone, and/or the
number of times the user has detected the interaction data
corresponding to this particular plastic stamp in the previous
week, or over any period of time.
[0023] Steps S110, S120, and S130 are preferably performed by the
electronic device of the method 100. The electronic device is
preferably a smartphone or tablet, but may additionally or
alternatively be any suitable electronic device capable of
interfacing with an identity-augmented tangible object, obtaining
interaction data, and computing parametric descriptors. Some other
examples of electronic devices include laptops, media players,
cameras, measurement devices, gaming systems, vehicular computing
devices, set-top boxes, televisions, NFC readers, RFID readers, and
smart-card readers.
[0024] Step S140 includes generating a first set of identity data
from a comparison of the transmitted parametric descriptors with a
known set of parametric descriptors contained in the remote
database system. The parametric descriptors are preferably as
described by Steps S120 and S130, but alternatively may be any
suitable parametric descriptors of the interaction data detected in
Step S110. Identity data is preferably data that represents whether
or not a detected IATO possesses the correct identity augmentation
in order to authorize an action.
[0025] For example, an IATO may be uniquely identified by an NFC
chip with a particular characteristic signal; that characteristic
signal may in turn be linked with a set of identity data stating
that the IATO may be used to open a particular set of
electronically-actuated doors. An electronic device with an
NFC-enabled reader detects the characteristic signal, and computes
from the signal a set of parametric descriptors (e.g. a digital
representation of the frequency components of the signal) and
transmits them to a remote database system. The remote database
system may contain a known set of digital representations of
frequency components of signals corresponding to the identities of
many identity-augmented tangible objects. The remote database
system compares the transmitted set to the known set and determines
if the tangible object's parametric descriptors are recognized as a
member of the known set. If so, the IATO (and/or the electronic
device) may be linked with data corresponding to the known
member.
[0026] Examples of linked data may include information about the
identity of the object used for hardware identification, content
linked to the object used for hardware identification, ownership
information relating to the object used for hardware
identification, and/or user stored information relating to the
object used for hardware identification. Linked data may not
necessarily be linked directly to the object; another example of
linked data includes archived financial data behind a pay wall that
can be accessed using one of several different identification
methods; in this case, the data may be simply linked to a
successful identification of a user using any of those methods.
[0027] In addition to modification based on IATO interaction,
linked data may also be modified based on data administrator input.
Data administrators are preferably any users with administrator
access to linked data. If linked data is related to a game, the
data administrators might include game developers. For example, a
set of ID tokens are given to a group of users by a webmaster,
allowing the users access to hidden parts of a website when the
token is used. The webmaster may monitor access and/or other usage
data linked to the users. Additionally, the webmaster may modify
the linked data corresponding to each token (and relatedly, the
level of access given by the token). Data administrator input is
preferably sent over the internet, but additionally or
alternatively may be sent by any suitable method.
[0028] Step S140 is preferably performed by a computer server or
cloud service, but may additionally or alternatively be performed
by any computing device capable of receiving interaction data
and/or parametric descriptors of the interaction data. Preferably,
the remote database system is a unified computing architecture in
which data can be stored and computed on locally, in order to
increase speed and reduce latency. Alternatively, the remote
database system may contain geographically and virtually disparate
components, each responsible for the various substeps of receiving
data, transmitting data, storing data, and/or computing on data
that may be contained in the steps of the method 100. The remote
database system preferably contains a database service (e.g.
Firebase) that syncs in real-time with electronic devices used with
the method 100, but may additionally or alternatively be any
suitable database service.
[0029] Step S150 includes authorizing the electronic device to
perform an action. Step S150 preferably authorizes the electronic
device to perform the action based on the identity data as
described by Step S140, but may additionally or alternatively
authorize the performance of the action based on any other suitable
data. For example, if the parametric descriptors and/or
supplementary data do not match any data contained in the remote
database system, the action authorized by Step S150 may be to
notify a user of the electronic device that there was no match to
the detected identity-augmented tangible object. Other examples for
the action to be authorized include displaying information about
the identified object on the screen of the electronic device;
reporting statistics on the number of times and/or locations in
which the object has been identified; providing enhanced
permissions or altered status to the electronic device and/or a
user of the electronic device; and confirming that the object has
been detected and that its parametric descriptors have been
compared against the known set in the remote database system.
Alternatively, the action that is authorized can be to do nothing
and wait for additional data and/or instructions. For instance, the
identity data may be an identifier for a particular action
figurine. This particular action figurine, when used during a game,
gives the user a higher chance to attack, but only if the user had
not already used the figurine in the past five minutes. In this
case, authorizing an action might involve querying the electronic
device for linked identity data to see if that figurine had been
used in the past five minutes, and authorizing the use of any
benefits afforded to the user of the particular action figurine in
the game if the query generated an affirmative response. In a
related example, the identity data is linked to a particular user
account in the remote database system, and the authorized action
might be to augment the gameplay in accordance with specific
information contained in the identity data linked to the user
account, such as by increasing the chance for the user to
successfully attack in the game. As another example, the identity
data might include an identifier for an identification token
belonging to a homeowner. The identification token, when used with
an app on the user's smartphone, allows the user to unlock the
doors to his or her house. Authorizing an action in this instance
includes directing the electronic locks of the house to
disengage.
[0030] Authorizing an action based on the first set of identity
data S150 may include modifying identity data and/or other data in
the remote database system. For example, the remote database system
may keep track of how many times a particular action figurine or
customer loyalty token is used; authorizing an action would include
updating the use count in the database.
[0031] If the authorized action included performing an additional
action or modifying data in the database, Step S150 may include
sending status or other information related to the authorization.
For instance, if the response included unlocking a door, Step S150
may include sending a notification that the door was successfully
unlocked.
[0032] Step S150 may additionally or alternatively include
authorizing an additional electronic device to perform an action.
For example, if the action includes, in a game, allowing the user
to hit another player for ten damage based on the use of an action
figurine, Step S150 may include authorizing sending both the user
and the other player notification of the damage, as well as
potentially applying the damage to both users.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the method 100 may be used to enable the
transfer of authorization (or ownership) between multiple mobile
electronic devices using a single identity-augmented tangible
object. The method 100 is used to authorize a first action on a
first electronic device using the IATO. Then, the method 100 is
used to authorize a second action on a second electronic device
using the IATO (the actions may or may not be the same). In this
particular example, the authorization of the second action includes
modifying identity data linked to the IATO. This identity data was,
due to the first authorization, associated with the first
electronic device and/or first action; after modification due to
the authorization of the second action, the identity data is no
longer associated with the first electronic device, resulting in a
deauthorization.
[0034] Step S160 includes deauthorizing an electronic device to
perform an action. Step S160 is preferably substantially similar to
Step S150; in effect, performing deauthorization of an action may
be identical to performing an action that negates the effect of a
previous action. As in Step S150, Step S160 may include triggering
an action (i.e., deauthorization of a previously authorized action)
on multiple devices.
[0035] Step S160 may be particularly useful to enact transfer of
ownership of digital goods related to a tangible object. For
example, a CD may include a QR code that gives ownership of a set
of exclusive digital tracks (downloadable from the internet) to the
owner of the CD; redemption of the QR code by a first owner of the
CD allows the owner to download the digital tracks. If the code is
redeemed by a second person, the tracks may be deleted from devices
owned by the first person and added to devices owned by the second
person.
[0036] For example, authorization of an action on a first device
may trigger deauthorization of an action on a second device in
real-time, regardless of the state of the second other device.
[0037] Note that while interactions describing two devices are
described here, these interactions may be extended to any number of
electronic devices and/or identity-augmented tangible objects.
2. Example Use Cases for Method 100
[0038] A first example involves the use of the method 100 for a
multiplayer video game played on tablets. Players of the game can
purchase toys that have a unique capacitive profile. Each toy
represents a particular in-game character that the user can play in
the game. When a player first presses a capacitively interactive
interface of the toy to the tablet during the game, the tablet
determines a toy ID number from the toy. The tablet then sends the
toy ID and the account ID used to purchase the game over the
internet to a game server in the cloud, which receives both pieces
of data. The game server checks to see if the toy has been used
before; since it hasn't, the toy ID and account ID are linked to a
set of default statistics for the character (e.g. level, attack
power, defense power, etc.) and stored in a database of the game
server as linked data. The game server then sends these default
statistics to the tablet. As the player continues to play the game
with the toy, data from the game is also stored in the database
signifying the progress of the character (linked to the toy ID and
account ID). Since the database is hosted in the cloud, large
amounts of data relating to the game can be stored and used to
measure character progress. Whenever the player uses the toy to
activate his character in the game, the toy ID and account ID are
again sent to and received by the game server. The game server
queries the database with the toy ID and account ID, which
recognizes both IDs and finds the updated statistics linked to both
IDs and then sends the updated statistics to the tablet. After some
time, the player has an extremely powerful character, and decides
to sell the figure to a second player. When the second player first
uses the toy to activate the character, the toy ID is sent along
with a new account ID and both are received by the game server. The
game server queries the database with the toy ID and new account
ID. The game server recognizes the ID but sees that it is
associated with a different account ID, so the game server removes
the link to the old account ID (preventing the first player from
playing with the character) and adds a link to the new account ID.
The game server then sends the statistics linked to the toy ID to
the second player's tablet.
[0039] A second use case involves the use of the method 100 for
conflict resolution of a tabletop game. The game is played with
toys having unique capacitive profiles on a large map. Pieces are
moved across the map to claim territory. When the pieces of two or
more players land in the same spot on the map, a tablet is used for
a battle simulation that determines who will occupy the map. To
start the battle simulation, a battle simulator app is loaded on a
tablet. Then, an authenticator token, having a unique capacitive
profile, is pressed to the tablet screen. This authenticator token
is owned by the game master, who programs the parameters of the
game into a database of a battle server using a web interface
linked to the authenticator token ID. The authenticator token was
given to the game master by a comic book store, which set a
restriction that the authenticator token would only work on tablets
physically located within the comic book store. When the
authenticator is pressed on the tablet, it is recognized as being
located within the comic book store and the battle server sends the
appropriate battle simulation parameters to the tablet. To allow
simultaneous battles, a second tablet in the comic book store also
loads the battle app, and the same authenticator token is used to
send the battle simulation parameters to the second tablet. A first
player and a second player touch their toys to the first tablet,
while a third and a fourth player touch their toys to the second
tablet. The positioning of the toys on the tablets is linked to an
attack type; toys placed on the far edges of the tablet use a
ranged attack, while toys placed close to the center use a melee
attack. When the toys are placed, their position and toy ID is sent
along with a tablet ID, and the battle simulation begins. After
some time, the first player notices that while he is winning
handily, his ally (the third player) is about to lose to the fourth
player. As shown in FIG. 3, the first player decides to transfer
one of his toys from the first tablet to the second tablet,
initiating a teleport action. When the tablet is placed on the
second tablet, it is recognized as having previously been on the
first tablet; the linked object in the game immediately disappears
from the first tablet and appears on the second tablet (enabled by
the real-time database used by the game server), where it can be
used in that battle as reinforcements.
[0040] A third use case involves the use of the method 100 to
control access to an exclusive wine club. Founding members of the
wine club are distributed a gold corkscrew with an embedded NFC
tag. The NFC tag of the corkscrew can be used with a smartphone app
to modify the details of a member's account (e.g. the delivery
address, payment options, wine preferences). The corkscrew can also
be used by a member to initiate one new member into the club per
month. For a new member to be initiated, a founding member must use
the NFC chip of the corkscrew with an unregistered device, which
prompts the new member to set up a membership account. Each new
member's account is linked to the account of the founding member
who enabled their joining, allowing the wine club to keep track of
recruitment.
[0041] A fourth use case involves the use of the method to enable
the authorization of real-time polling of attendees at a large
sporting event in an arena. Each seatback in the arena contains a
QR code corresponding to that specific seat. When a question is
displayed to attendees on a large screen, they may use a smartphone
app to scan the QR code and be thereby authorized to participate in
answering the question via the same app or a different app. Each QR
code may be unique, such that each attendee can vote in the poll
only a single time. Alternatively, the QR code may be semi-unique,
and contain information regarding the general location of the seat
or the price point of a ticket for the seat, enabling a proprietor
of the arena to collect real time polling data on attendee
experiences that are categorized by this supplementary data. This
use of the method allows an owner or operator of a sports arena to
improve and streamline their service in real time and with
high-fidelity user-specific data.
[0042] The methods of the preferred embodiment and variations
thereof can be embodied and/or implemented at least in part as a
machine configured to receive a computer-readable medium storing
computer-readable instructions. The instructions are preferably
executed by computer-executable components preferably integrated
with a computer system. The computer-readable medium can be stored
on any suitable computer-readable media such as RAMs, ROMs, flash
memory, EEPROMs, optical devices (CD or DVD), hard drives, floppy
drives, or any suitable device. The computer-executable component
is preferably a general or application specific processor, but any
suitable dedicated hardware or hardware/firmware combination device
can alternatively or additionally execute the instructions.
[0043] As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the
previous detailed description and from the figures and claims,
modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments
of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention
defined in the following claims.
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