Abstract: A system in which attributes are transferred between generations of characters in an interactive software experience is described. In an embodiment, data identifying one or more hardware attributes for a virtual entity are received from a physical user device associated with that virtual entity. One or more virtual attributes for the virtual entity are accessed and one or more behaviors of the virtual entity within the interactive software experience are modified based on a combination of the hardware and virtual attributes.

Abstract: A storage and charging device for game pieces is described which is associated with an interactive software experience, such that the storage and charging device corresponds to a virtual entity within the interactive software experience. The storage and charging device comprises a charging mechanism and a communication mechanism. The charging mechanism is arranged to charge at least one of the game pieces and the communication mechanism is arranged to communicate with the interactive software experience.

Abstract: Methods of managing virtual resources within a virtual world are described which use a device comprising a connecting element to which one or more smart beads can be attached. A smart bead represents either a virtual resource in the virtual world or an action on a virtual resource in the virtual world. The device is arranged to detect and identify which smart beads are attached to the connecting element and to autonomously update quantities of one or more virtual resources based on combinations of virtual resources and/or actions on virtual resources, where at least one of the virtual resources or actions in any combination is represented by a detected smart bead. In an embodiment, the device is a fashion item such as a wearable device.

Abstract: An interactive play set is described which comprises one or more active physical play pieces. In an embodiment, each active physical play piece receives data from one or more other play pieces in the play set and uses this data to generate proximity data. The proximity data describes distances between two or more play pieces from which it receives data to three or more proximity levels. The proximity data is then transmitted to an interactive entertainment experience (such as a game) which reflects changes in proximity level. For example, the changes may be visible in a graphical user interface or another play piece or audible to a user.

Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling physical toys using a physics engine are described. In an embodiment, a physics engine within an interactive software experience is used to model the motion of a virtual object in a virtual environment. The output of this modelling is then imposed on a physical toy which corresponds to the virtual object such that the motion of the physical toy in the real world more closely matches the motion of the virtual object in the virtual environment. In various examples, the modelling is imposed through control signals which are generated based on output of the physics engine and used to control actuators within the physical toy to change the motion of at least a part of the toy.

Abstract: Methods of interacting with a story in a virtual world through manipulation of physical play pieces are described. An interactive software experience presents an interactive story to a user where the direction (and/or progression) of the story depends on user actions with physical play pieces. In an embodiment these actions are sensed by the physical play pieces themselves and sensed input data is communicated to the interactive software experience from the play pieces. The interactive story comprises one or more branching points at which there are a number of possible outcomes and one of the possible outcomes is selected at a branching point based on the sensed input data. The interactive story is presented to the user, for example using sounds and/or images.

Abstract: Track based play systems are described which comprise a set of physical play pieces and an associated computer game. In an embodiment, a user may arrange some or all of the play pieces in the set to form a path. The computer game is arranged to infer a virtual model of the path defined by the user-created arrangement of the play pieces. The inference may be based on data communicated by one or more the play pieces to the game or based on data from a local sensing device such as a camera which views the relative positions of the play pieces. Having inferred the path, the game constrains a virtual or physical object to the path within the game play and renders a graphical user interface showing at least a portion of the path.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for managing a user's contact data which use evolving sequential sets of rules where the applicability of each set depends upon adherence or proper application of a prior set. In an embodiment, an initial set of restrictions are generated based on input from a first user, the restrictions relating to contact made by a second user to the first user. These initial restrictions are subsequently modified in response to the second user contacting the first user based on the contact made and a characteristic of the contact. The methods may apply to any form of contact between the first and second users and in an embodiment applies to contact made by the second user to a cellular telephone number belonging to the first user.

Abstract: A modular assembly system is described in which each module comprises a storage element which stores an identifier for the module and data relating to the module. At least some of the module data is variable and is updated based on user interaction with an interactive software experience (e.g. state data). Each module also comprises one or more connectors for connecting to other modules to form a coherent physical whole object. In an embodiment, the system further comprises the interactive software experience which provides user objectives which can only be satisfied by the user interacting with the object or with modules that form the object. At least one of the modules in the object comprises a communication module which passes identifiers and module data to the interactive software experience and receives updated module data from the interactive software experience for storing in one of the modules in the object.

Abstract: Interactive smart beads are described. The beads are attached to a connecting element and form a fashion item such as a necklace or bracelet. The connecting element detects the presence of beads which are part of the fashion item and also beads which are part of nearby fashion items. The connecting element also autonomously generates interactions between two or more detected beads and transmits data about the interactions to a software experience so that a user can view a graphical representation of the interactions. In various examples each bead represents a character, environment, object, etc. and the software experience displays an animated story based on the characters, environments, objects, etc. represented by the beads involved in an interaction.

Abstract: A data store for a modular assembly system is described. The data store comprises a number of records, each record relating to a physical module in the modular assembly system and comprising a module ID, an owner ID for the module and one or more properties fields. The properties field(s) define any property of the module and different records may define different properties. At least one of the fields in each data record (e.g. the module ID or owner ID) is verified by an authentication service. A user assembles two or more modules into a coherent physical whole object to act as a user input device to an interactive software experience. The data store communicates with the interactive software experience and causes a change in behavior of the interactive software experience in response to a check of the data records for each of the modules in the object.

Abstract: A modular assembly system is described which enables interaction with an interactive software experience such as a game. The system enables a coherent physical whole object to be assembled from a core module and one or more peripheral modules. The core module includes a battery, processor and a wireless module which is able to communicate with the interactive software experience which runs on a separate computing device such as a smartphone, tablet or games console. Each of the peripheral modules stores a module ID and these IDs are collected by the core module and communicated to the interactive software experience. The user experience within the interactive software experience changes dependent upon the set of modules which are connected to form the coherent physical whole object and may also be altered as a result of manipulation of the coherent physical whole object or individual modules.

Abstract: A system for generating custom modular objects is described. The custom modules form part of a modular construction set from which an object can be created by a user. The object acts as a user input device for an interactive software experience. To generate a custom (i.e. non-standard) module, a virtual 3D shape is received by a module generation service. The service converts this shape into a derived 3D shape for the module, for example, ensuring that the module is shaped such that it is compatible with other modules from the modular construction set to which it will be connected for form an object and/or by adding an aperture for receiving a connector and/or electronics core. Once generated, the derived 3D shape is sent to the user in physical form or virtual form and a virtual representation of the module is provided to the interactive software experience.

Abstract: An interactive computer game is described which works in conjunction with a number of physical modules that a user can connect together in different ways to form a coherent physical whole object. The game receives data from the object via a wireless link, the data identifying at least which modules form part of the object and updates game play based on the data received. At some point within the game play, the game presents an objective or goal to the user which the user can only achieve by interacting with the physical object formed from the modules. In an embodiment, this interaction comprises re-arranging the modules or swapping modules to form an object with a different visual appearance, moving all or part of the object and/or interacting with a sensor on a module in the object. The game may receive further data from the object during the user interaction.

Abstract: Methods for securely and precisely determining the location of a user are described. The methods involve a situated device dock which is associated with an application and has a known physical location. The dock comprises a sensor to detect a user portable device in proximity to the dock and a module for communicating a session key to a proximate user portable device. The session key is known to a server and enables the user portable device to verify to the server that it is proximate to the device dock and therefore can be associated with the known physical location of the device dock. Based on the known location of the user portable device, functionality within an application or web application running on the device is enabled or disabled.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a technology by which a computing device user may share context-related information (e.g., including current activity) with other recipient machines. A requestor may request to peek at a user's context, and if the requestor is valid (pre-approved by the user), a response based on context-related information is sent, which may be via a cloud service. The response may be filtered and/or adjusted based upon the identity of the requestor and other information associated with that identity, e.g., filtering criteria set by the user. Also described is notifying the user of the peek request, and logging information corresponding to the request and response. A broadcast message may also be sent by the device to share context without waiting for a peek request.

Abstract: A wireless opportunistic network that can facilitate data transfer by way of interconnected devices is disclosed. In accordance with this opportunistic network, each of the devices effectively contributes to the transfer of the information thereby obviating the need for an external carrier. In this manner, the carrier infrastructure is embodied and distributed throughout the individual devices of the network. In a particular aspect, the opportunistic network is employed to transfer and make available health-related data. This functionality can be used in many scenarios related to heath from, monitoring patients and conveying basic diagnostic data to identifying bioterrorism by way of collaborating data between a number of devices within the network. Essentially, the innovation provides for at least two core functional ideas, the opportunistic network infrastructure and the use of the network in health related scenarios.

Abstract: A wireless opportunistic network that can facilitate data transfer by way of interconnected devices is disclosed. In accordance with this opportunistic network, each of the devices effectively contributes to the transfer of the information thereby obviating the need for an external carrier. In this manner, the carrier infrastructure is embodied and distributed throughout the individual devices of the network. In a particular aspect, the opportunistic network is employed to transfer and make available health-related data. This functionality can be used in many scenarios related to heath from, monitoring patients and conveying basic diagnostic data to identifying bioterrorism by way of collaborating data between a number of devices within the network. Essentially, the innovation provides for at least two core functional ideas, the opportunistic network infrastructure and the use of the network in health related scenarios.

Abstract: A wireless opportunistic network that can facilitate data transfer by way of interconnected devices is disclosed. In accordance with this opportunistic network, each of the devices effectively contributes to the transfer of the information thereby obviating the need for an external carrier. In this manner, the carrier infrastructure is embodied and distributed throughout the individual devices of the network. In a particular aspect, the opportunistic network is employed to transfer and make available health-related data. This functionality can be used in many scenarios related to heath from, monitoring patients and conveying basic diagnostic data to identifying bioterrorism by way of collaborating data between a number of devices within the network. Essentially, the innovation provides for at least two core functional ideas, the opportunistic network infrastructure and the use of the network in health related scenarios.

Abstract: A wireless opportunistic network that can facilitate data transfer by way of interconnected devices is disclosed. In accordance with this opportunistic network, each of the devices effectively contributes to the transfer of the information thereby obviating the need for an external carrier. In this manner, the carrier infrastructure is embodied and distributed throughout the individual devices of the network. In a particular aspect, the opportunistic network is employed to transfer and make available health-related data. This functionality can be used in many scenarios related to heath from, monitoring patients and conveying basic diagnostic data to identifying bioterrorism by way of collaborating data between a number of devices within the network. Essentially, the innovation provides for at least two core functional ideas, the opportunistic network infrastructure and the use of the network in health related scenarios.